Dragons at Twilight
by Corinne Tate
Summary: All her life, initiate sorceress Be'lah has been having nightmares of her death at the hands of a dragon-riding, leech mage. An ancient prophesy reveals her part in freeing Prince Ehd Wyrd from his curse - if she lives. Elves, fairies, and dragons - no vampires.
1. Chapter 1 Sacrifice

Dragons at Twilight

Chapter One

Sacrifice

The audience chamber was filled with people, all craning their necks to get a better look at us. We were the virgins, all dressed in long white gowns, and with flowers wreathed in our hair. Of the six, only I was in chains and shackles. The other five were from the city and surrounding countryside, and they were willingly presenting themselves to be sacrificed.

They tried to explain that it was a great honor, and service to their home and country. I could only laugh at their foolishness. What honor is there in being fed to a hungry dragon?

I'd spent two months in the confines of the walled city, and much of that time was spent in the highest tower of Castle Volterror – formerly Kellan Castle. It was where we were sequestered, to make sure we remained unsullied. It was also where it would be nearly impossible to rescue us. It was there, in our large prison room, where I got to know the women who volunteered to be eaten by the dragon.

In the months leading up to this ceremony, they'd patiently explained as if speaking to a child, how it was a great privilege to be chosen. I was informed that it would bring great honor to my family and name. And I was regaled with romantic notions of how my sacrifice would save the hundreds, if not thousands of villagers, both in and around the citadel. Babies and small children could rest secure, knowing that an angel with my face had kept them safe.

It was all ridiculous nonsense! I'd tried again and again to remind them that I had not volunteered, and that I was not of their city or the surrounding countryside. They smiled benignly, and reminded me that it was their law that any virgin within the city who met their requirements, must comply and submit themselves. They didn't want to hear how in the past five years they'd lost sixty young virgins, to the point their numbers had dwindled to the five of them plus me.

It wasn't just virginity the law required; it was much more specific than that. Said virgin must be seventeen years of age, and on the cusp of her eighteenth. She must have eyes the color of a deer's and hair the color of fresh turned earth in its untreated state. She must be free of disease or defect, and be strong of constitution. And she must be unmarried and not promised.

I was all of those things. But I had never heard of the edict. I came with traders from a place most of those simple people had never heard of, on the mainland. Only Alyss the Seer had heard of my people. But she couldn't help me now.

I was first captured, then taken before the regent and his warlock as soon as it was suspected that I might possibly meet the requirements of the edict. I was dragged before them, held roughly in the hands of two men at arms. They looked as if they could tear me to pieces, and would delight in the opportunity. I heard their names spoken in fear and awe as they passed through the streets with my struggling form. Fealecks and D'Mitrey were more than capable of carrying me, when I tripped over my initiate robes, or the cobblestones of the street.

In a secret meeting, I was brought before them, and I faced down the pale one where he hid in the recesses of his voluminous robes. I knew his kind by his smell alone. He was a leech – the most foul and evil among those of us who used magic. Leeches drained the magic and life from the people, animals, and plants around them. This unnatural stolen power showed first in the washed out whiteness of their skin and hair, and their terrible red eyes. The most powerful could walk into a vibrant forest and walk out leaving a desert behind them. The one named Kai'as was powerful, but he was nowhere near as powerful as some I'd heard about..

Before I could even confront them for taking me against my will, I was forced to kneel before them. My arms were held and I was made to press my face to the stone floor. I felt his booted foot resting casually on my head as they laughed. I knew without a doubt they could kill me at a whim.

They consulted so loud, I knew I was intended to hear. "She fits all the requirements, I think we should present her to the dragon for the next feeding." The voice belonged to the magistrate.

"No! It must be the Seer. By the following feeding, she will be too old." I quickly learned to recognize the imperious tones of the leech.

"Does the Seer really need to be sacrificed? She has an enchanting ability, and she's such a pretty young thing. I could take her as my concubine; why couldn't she join us? Let this one be eaten, for she is not even one of us." The magistrate sounded spoiled, whining his request to the warlock who was beneath him in station.

"The Seer is my enemy. She can never be one of us, nor can this one. They must die, and by dying they will appease the dragon. Do you have a better plan of feeding the beast?" he snarled. I couldn't see the magistrate, but I imagined his head shake. "I didn't think so."

With the tip of his soft boot beneath my chin, Kai'as lifted my face. "Take her to the tower. But first, strip her completely of everything she owns. Do not miss a thing, I warn you, even the pins in her hair can be used against us. Make sure she's bathed and deloused," he sneered. "Burn her clothes, and set everything else aside for my inspection."

I was yanked to my feet, and manhandled through the castle.

"We get to see her naked!" Fealecks chortled. "It's a good thing they don't know that the girls come to us as virgins, but they don't always leave that way."

"Will you shut up!" D'Mitrey seemed a little more respectful, though he held my arm so tightly I knew I'd be wearing bruises to match his fingers.

"You remember that pretty one two months ago? You can't tell me a dragon can tell the difference between a virgin and a whore. Such a waste to send them off untried. I'm going to have me a sample of this sweet little thing if the bathing chamber is empty. I'll even watch the door for you, if you want a go on her too."

As we entered the bathing chamber, Fealecks reached out his free hand, and made himself too familiar with my womanly parts. I spoke one word and he began to scream.

"What have you done? My hand! Make it stop! Make it stop now!" He let go of me to try to wipe the magical sparkle from his hand. It caught the light and sent shards of glittering brightness dancing around the room in prismatic colors..

As I laughed, D'Mitrey quickly twisted my arms behind my back and held me against him. He gripped my chin in his strong hand, and his low voice threatened: "I will snap your pretty little neck in an instant if you don't stop immediately, witch!"

"I can't stop it, it has to wear off." He slid both hands around my neck and began to squeeze. "It only lasts a quarter hour." I gasped. "It's harmless."

I lost consciousness, and woke up on the stone floor. My head was pillowed on something soft, and I could hear water trickling. I smelled the fuel used to heat the water. There was a conglomeration of scented perfumes and oils wafting through the room on various air currents.

"See, I didn't kill her. She'll be fine except for the bruises, and she's got at least a month for those to heal." D'Mitrey looked nervous.

"I'll be the judge of her condition." The voice was musical and female. I opened my eyes to a sight that terrified me. It was another leech, young and pretty, and more dangerous than a pit of vipers. She stood and faced D'Mitrey, looking up as she was over a foot shorter than he was. "How dare you attack a virgin destined for the dragon?" A small smile twisted her lips, and D'Mitrey screamed. I heard the sickening sounds of bones breaking, and watched him collapse to the floor. His eyes stared my way from where he lay, still living, but badly broken.

"And you..." She approached Fealecks with small steps, as he backed away in terror and revulsion. "...do you think me a fool? I know that you violated two of our virgin sacrifices on the eve of their glorious demise. Dragons know the difference between a virgin and a sullied woman. They are magical creatures – and you are a fool!"

I could only see them from the corner of my eye, but what I saw made me know D'Mitrey had received the more lenient punishment. She reached out, and against his will, Fealecks placed his head within her hands like a child's ball. He was bent in a bow as she held him, and she brought her pale lips to his as if to kiss him, but hers was a kiss of draining. I watched years, decades of life, sucked right out of him as if he were aging before my eyes. When she released him, he was a feeble old man. He collapsed under the weight of his armor.

"Help me, Jain..." D'Mitrey obviously didn't see what she'd just done to his friend. He was still crumpled where he'd fallen. His unbroken hand was raised in supplication. "I beg you, be merciful." With a sneer, she stepped on his hand as she walked past. Even as he screamed, she came to me.

"Get up, witch!" She narrowed her red eyes at me, and I struggled to my feet, knowing I'd find no help from that one. "Don't look so horrified, I saved you from being ravished. Now take off your clothes, and put them in a pile right there." She pointed to a spot near her foot. I glanced at D'Mitrey and Fealecks, both of whom could easily see me, and her lips pressed into a thin line. "Don't worry about them. They may indeed see you naked, but they won't be laying hands on anyone for a very long time. You'll be dead before this one can even stand again. And that one will never threaten a woman again. Undress!" Her order moved me.

I hated losing my initiate robes. The soft gray wool was the first sign of acceptance in the order of the Kwill Utte. It was an honor to wear them, and I had looked forward to the day when I'd wear the silver trim of second tier. I fixed my eyes on the growing pile, as I added my goatskin boots and my undergarments. On a nearby table she instructed me to place everything else. A silver chain holding a locket with my mother's hair, and a signet ring my father gave me, were both hard for me to part with. I had a bracelet reminding me of the six laws of magic, and two rings I'd received from childhood friends before I'd gone on to study magic..

I also had a belt, with two pouches of spell components, and Jain took them as soon as they were away from my body. She was disappointed to the point of anger, as she flung the ingredients across the floor. I was a sorceress of the flame, and we practiced a different magic than she did. Leeches wielded great power, but it came with a great cost.

My magic was more subtle. I had only learned the most basic spells of memory. As an initiate, I'd only just learned to release the memory of life from the cast off items of man and nature, found all around us. Eagle feathers could give us flight, snake skin could protect us, and bits of bone made us stronger. Memories held power; it was the second law of magic, and the only spells I had learned were of memory.

At the reminder of our differences, Jain tore through my hair with a vengeance, pulling several pins out of the mass of tangles and curls. "Get in the bath." She pointed to a deep pool, of water that steamed As I waded into the most luxurious indulgence I'd ever known, she set my clothes on fire.

I was scrubbed, my hair was washed, and every part of me was soaped by an attendant. Jain watched over me, but she was loathe to touch me. When I emerged I was dried and dressed in white. The attendant went to work on my hair, and I was perfumed and powdered to the point I thought I would be ill. When I was cleaner than I had ever been since my birth, I was lead away from the leech and her destruction.

The tower was where I spent nearly two months of my life. There were six already there, and I made seven. Alyss immediately came to my side and in hours – minutes even – we were friends. She took my hand and lead me to a place where we could talk.

Sitting all too comfortably on mattresses laid out for our sleeping and ease, we began to speak of deep and troubling plans and portents.

"I've been both dreading and dreaming of our meeting for two years. I knew you would come. You are the one from the prophesy." I stared at her blankly.

"I'm barely an initiate. I'm a novice with a few tricks up my sleeves, but look..." I indicated the dress I wore, which was sleeveless. "...no sleeves. They took all I had. I can't possibly save this city from the leeches."

She looked at me in confusion. "It's not the leeches you're supposed to save us from – it's the dragons!" Her face fell, and two tears escaped her eyes. "Alas, I will be taken before that glorious day."

"If you can see the future, why didn't you save yourself? You should have known they'd come for you."

She smiled sadly. "I knew. I have been hiding among them for so long, waiting for you. I knew you would need me and what I can tell you, so I volunteered. I turn eighteen at the next full moon. I'm next. This coming feeding, the dragon comes for me." I held her tiny frame as she wept bitterly against me. "I don't want to die." she sniffled.

We talked way into the night, and Alyss told me of prophesy and history and the very nature of dragons. The other five girls were afraid of Alyss, and they left us alone while they braided one another's hair and spent time at needlework.

As Alyss' story lulled, I got up and asked the other girls if they could perhaps make me a couple drawstring pouches of silk. One sweet girl who introduced herself as An J'la eagerly accepted the challenge. In the morning she presented me with three well made silk purses, sewn with stitches so tiny, even the smallest of my spell components would not seep out.

I then went about collecting the cast offs of my sacrificial sisters. Hair from their brushes, nail clippings, and even the distasteful menstrual blood, tied up in rags, which I wrapped in parchment and sealed with wax. Jain was right, dragons were magical, and there were aspects of virginity which were magical as well.

I only had three weeks to learn all Alyss could teach me. The day before the dragon's feeding, I did my utmost to cast a spell. I knew the basics, and I used what I found on hand. With a sewing needle, I pricked my finger and added my own blood to the talisman I made for her. With luck it would protect her from being eaten by the dragon. She tied it into her white gown and dutifully we all dressed in white and had flowers woven into our hair.

It was my first experience with the audience chamber. Seven of us lined up as the regent Markus made a weak show of deciding which of us would receive the honor of being fed, alive and screaming to a dragon. He tried to look as if he were wisely considering each of our fitness for the dubious honor, but to me he looked bored. His glazed eyes passed over me, and I realized with a start he wasn't bored, he was drugged.

It was no surprise to me that he chose Alyss, though three of the girls screamed, and several ladies in the front row of the audience swooned. I shot a look her way, wishing that I could hold her and comfort her in her distress, but instead I took advantage of the distraction and slipped away.

Alyss had made me memorize the layout of the castle, and I ran to the only place where I could find help – the library. In the dark room, I tried to put it out of my mind that the best friend I'd ever had was about to become dragon food if my talisman failed. I searched the shelves, trying to let my innate magical sense guide me. Deep in the recesses of the shelves I found what I was looking for. It was a tome of immense proportions – prophesy through the ages. I ducked back into the darkest recess of the library and strained my eyes to read the ancient text.

It took a while to find what I was looking for, and I occasionally heard the noise of the castle guards as they searched for me. I hurriedly read the section pertaining to this time and dragons. What I read made me tremble with fear. It spoke of a dragon invasion which would tear apart the world of man. It spoke of evil magic and a great bird which was the only hope of a doomed people.

Perhaps it was only my imagination, but at that moment, I could swear I heard Alyss scream. I felt a great heartbreak, and knew she was gone.

I closed the book after memorizing the passage, and went in search of some kind of magic I could use to escape.. I thought I saw a magical scroll closer to the door. Alas it was that hope which doomed me. Not only did the scroll in question set off a shrieking alarm, but I was too close to the door to hide. I was captured in seconds, and for the second time I was presented to the leeches.


	2. Chapter 2 Torture

Chapter Two

Torture

The one named Kai'as ordered me locked in a quiet room on an empty hall. Still wearing the white dress, with flowers still woven into my hair, I was chained to a wall. While Jain his young protege watched, with a small smile playing on her childlike face, he beat me. He hit me again and again, first with his fists, then he used a rod, and a whip, instructing her by his words and example, of what would cause me pain, injure me, or kill me. He wanted her to learn what caused the most pain, and what would or wouldn't leave scars.

To further his instruction, he took his rest and allowed her to continue my torture. I would have thought she would be weaker, as she was so much smaller. But what she lacked in size and strength she made up in zeal. The blows were painful, but seeing the wicked smile of glee on her young face was almost more than I could bear. She was clearly enjoying and feeding on my pain.

When they both beat me, he hit me in my face, and knocked out several of my teeth. I blessedly lost consciousness. When I awoke, I felt the foulness of his magic invading me, as he repaired my broken teeth and other injuries. It was his not so subtle demonstration that he could hurt me and fix me, over and over again. I hung limply in the chains. I couldn't stop my pain or my screams, but I could resist begging. In my mind I drew the line and refused to cross it.

I was sorely tempted to beg with the next round of attacks. To prove she was learning her lessons well, young Jain sought her master's approval with a vicious attack. Her sadistic smile was the last thing I saw, as she reached up with her bare hands, and gouged my eye from my face. Then as I screamed, she removed the other just as coldly. I felt the rod pressed against my throat, as she used all her strength to crush my windpipe. I couldn't see or breathe, and I was glad my death would be swift.

I awoke again, fully healed, but still in chains. The feel of the leeches magic was horrible to me. I could sense all the life they'd sacrificed for their power, and I felt as if I wore the grave clothes of the dead. My skin crawled with it. I would rather have died from my injuries than partake of that unnatural power.

It went on and on, and I lost track of the time as I was tortured and healed in a cycle of torment that almost broke me. Perhaps it was only hours, but it felt like half my life was spent in chains. I began to lose all rational thought, and I couldn't even remember my name. I was shielded from their draining power, and one of the reasons they beat me so fiercely was because I wouldn't tell them why they couldn't pull my life from my body. My white dress was a blood soaked ruin, and the flowers in my hair turned brittle and flaked away as they drew power from the living things around them.

I'm not sure if they tired of their torture, or if they simply had someplace else to be. Before they left, Jain touched me, and the bones in my legs snapped as if they were twigs. I couldn't stand, and fell limp in the chains. They left me hanging there for two more days, locked in the room where none could see me or hear my cries. I fouled my own clothes, and felt hunger and thirst taunting me. It was all I could do to hold on to the hope that I wouldn't die before I could fulfill my duty.

When I was finally taken down, I was dragged to the bathing chamber mewling in agony, and clinging to life and wakefulness. I was attended to by a servant girl, with brown skin and hair as black as a starless night. She introduced herself as Immalee. She cooed over me and touched me with the gentlest hands. From my prone position on the floor, I gazed up into her lovely angel's face. I gasped in horror as she turned, and I saw the horrible scar pulled across her face.

"Shh, stay calm. I know your pain. It is bad, but you will heal. They were careful not to mark your skin with_ scars._" She looked ashamed.

"Did they do this to you?" I tried to reach her face, but had no strength.

"The man I love with all my heart did this. He was under a powerful curse, and knew not what he was doing."

"I'm sorry."

She smiled. "Do not be sorry for me. He is a very good man, under a very bad curse. Be still, and allow me to tend to you." She gave me a wet cloth to suck on to appease my thirst, then she peeled the ruined dress from my crusted skin. I fought not to scream, and moaned and whimpered instead. Without complaint she cleaned my body of blood and other noxious matter. She continued to moisten the cloth so I could drink slowly without becoming ill.

When she got to my legs, she gently touched the breaks, and shook her head. "I cannot set these bones now. It's been too long, and there's swelling. They've begun to heal this way." She covered me with a clean sheet, and maneuvered me to a mat so I would be off the stone floor. "I don't think anyone should bother you here. Do not try to move, and I will return soon."

My legs were numb, but for the sharp, unpredictable jolts of pain that raced through them. My arms, shoulders and back were knotted in pain. My chest hurt as I hadn't taken a full breath of air since my legs were broken. And every cut, and bruise felt as if it were on fire.

When she came back, I was surprised to see she brought a man with her. He was so old I'm sure he could have passed for a woman if no one looked closely. He was bent nearly double with his age and the debilitating stiffness in his joints.

"This is the woman I was telling you about. She needs your help B'lee. I can do nothing more for her, and if you can't help her, she'll be crippled for the rest of her life. He looked at me, and pushed his long white hair out of his eyes as he knelt slowly at my side. I could tell he was in pain, and I thought he must have been at least seventy years old.

Then he looked at me with intense, lively brown eyes. "I recognize the work of the leeches. The pale leech stole thirty-five years of my life just three years ago. I was only thirty-five at the time. He took away half my life, and as soon as I was helpless, he took my Sa'reh He stole all of her life, but the last ten minutes. I held her withered form as she died. I hate them! I will help you, but only if you promise me you will oppose them any chance you can.

"I can do no less. My order is dedicated to opposing..."

"Shh – do not tell me. Keep your secrets as long as you can. They can steal the very thoughts from your head." He looked at Immalee. "I need an old chair, with straight legs. Go and check the kitchen or the barn." She didn't argue, but went.

From a small pouch at his side, he withdrew several waxy packets of dried leaves, berries, and roots. I watched with interest as he began to crush them together in a small wooden bowl. With water heated for the baths, he made a tea. I recognized the way his hands moved and the soft whispered spell on his lips that he too was a sorcerer of good, dark magic. I knew for him to work so confidently he must be several tiers higher than I was.

"Here drink this, it will make you sleep."

"I don't want to sleep... I'm afraid of being helpless."

"Drink. You're going to want to sleep through what I have to do to fix your legs. If you scream, they'll come to investigate for sure." I drank the tea.

I was feeling drowsy when Immalee came back with a chair. B'lee instructed her to break the legs off, and I closed my eyes.

I was being chased by a pale figure riding a dragon. The rider's white hair whipped behind him in the wind, and the dragon reached for me with its claws – narrowly missing me. With a wave of his arm, the dragon rider stole the life from the ground – the grass, undergrowth, and trees withered. The very life was pulled from my surroundings, and the meadow and the forest were dead in an instant. He pointed at the sky, unleashing his stolen power. With the speed of magic, clouds gathered and rain poured. I couldn't run, as the ground turned to mud, sucking at my churning feet. When the dragon came for me again, I was exposed and helpless, and I felt its talons tear into me like knives.

My throat exploded with a scream that made no sound. I felt the dragon claws rend my flesh as it picked me up, pulling me from the sucking mud like a child's doll. Leathery wings beat the air as it soared into the night sky. The rain felt like needles on my skin, and the lightning illuminated the blood running in pale red rivers from my wounds.

The pale rider's unspoken command bade me come, as the dragon let go. I hung in the air with my feet kicking, as I feared the plummet to my death, and my mouth froze open with silent screams. Then I was drawn to him against my will, and pulled astride the back of the beast. Skeletal arms wrapped around my torn body, as if to feed on my pain. His sunken white face pressed against my cheek, and I heard his laughter even in the storm.

"My pet wants to have you for a snack." His cold voice was one I'd never forget It was the sound of death, and it sent terror clawing through me. Again I screamed, but it was as if he'd stolen my voice in anticipation of stealing my very life. Without my voice, I couldn't cast even the most rudimentary of spells, while he had the whole arsenal of foul white wizardry to use against me.

I fought to fling myself from the back of the dragon, preferring death at the jaws of the monster, or one broken against the ground, to what the leech had in store for me. I knew instinctively what role I played in his plans, and the knowledge made me long for the crushing and rending of the dragon's maw.

"You cannot fight me." His words in my ear froze me. "I can find you no matter where you hide." I broke free, giving one last twist as I threw myself to the side and freed myself from his unholy grasp. I was in the air, falling past leathery wings, and sharp talons. The ground rushed to meet me and I knew it would be over soon.

I woke with a start and almost lost consciousness the pain was so intense. B'lee did his best to sooth me, pressing me back down .

"You must rest child. I have straightened your legs, but if you move too much you'll undo all my work.

"You're a dark sorcerer." I whispered my suspicions.

"Hush child, do you want to get us both killed?" His eyes darted to the corners of the room. "I'm going to take you someplace to rest and heal. The leeches won't forget about you for long, and they'll want you back." He shook his head. "Be glad they could feed on your pain. If they had not become drunk on the power, you wouldn't have survived."

B'lee and Immalee carried me slung between them in a sheet. I was covered over with dirty towels and laundry, in case anyone questioned them. They took me to what was clearly a servant's quarters, and then transferred me to a tiny bed.

"You'll be safe here, since this hallway is infested with rats." Alarmed, I tried to sit up and he pushed me back down as he laughed. "Relax, they're _my _rats." He held up a small gray bundle of fabric and shook it at me. "Old socks and rags make wonderful rats, and they can't be caught by any cat."

"Thank you. I don't know how to repay you."

"Yes you do." His intense eyes met mine and his withered hand caressed my cheek. "You will know when the time is right. Just don't lose heart." With that he left me in the care of Immalee.

She kept me hidden and cared for me for three weeks while my legs mended. B'lee must have cast some kind of healing spell on me, as my bones mended much faster than normal. When I was well, the splints were taken off my legs, and not only was I unhurt, but I was also free of bruises or scars.

When B'lee returned, he came with a gift, and also a demand that made me wonder why he ever bothered to save me. First he presented me with my necklace and signet ring they'd taken from me. Then my happiness soured when he told me, "I want you to face the dragon."

"You're crazy!" I sat up in the tiny bed and backpedaled away from him. "I appreciate all you've done for me, but I don't see how letting a dragon eat me does anyone any good!"

"You are Be'lah Swan. You are the one the prophesy tells will save us."

"Listen, I don't know how you know my name, but you've got the wrong girl! I'm just an initiate, and I haven't even advanced beyond the second tier. Even if I was your girl, I'm not nearly powerful enough to take on dragons, leeches, or... even one of your toy rats!" I swatted at a gray sock out of my reach. "I'm not ready to die to prove you're wrong. I just want to catch another trade boat and head back to the mainland."

"What about the nightmares?" His eyes met and held mine.

"What nightmares?" My voice didn't give me away, but my hands shook.

"You cannot escape your destiny, Be'lah. It will find you wherever you hide."

I jumped up from the bed and retreated to the far wall. His words were so much like the white leech of my nightmare.

"What do you know about him?" I was afraid to even ask.

"The evil white wizard on a powerful black dragon?" He nodded slowly. "Prophesy. Is this what you see in your nightmares? Be'lah, you cannot fight destiny."

"No! It's just a dream. I must have heard the story when I was little. I know it's not real – it cannot be real!"

"The dragons come for the great bird..."

"I'm not a bird – I'm just a girl!"

"...only in losing her life will she gain her future..."

"B'lee, it's not me!"

"...only in her future can the people be free. The dragons will seek her for their own, and the white wizard seeks her blood to open the gateway..."

"Stop! You can't make me do this."

" ...and evil shall descend upon the great bird. Only when all hope is lost will hope be found."

"_Please_... _I can't do this_." I slid down the wall as I didn't have the strength to stand.

"This week they choose another virgin to feed to the dragon. An J'la is next, since she turns eighteen soon. You can fight your destiny, but An J'la will go in your place." I looked up at him and wiped the tears I hadn't realized I was even crying. I remembered the kind girl who'd sewn my bags for me

I stood up. I still shook, but I squared my shoulders. "I'll do it." I met his eyes, and he gave me a resigned smile.

"First we've got to sneak you back into the tower. The leeches believe you've escaped and run away. We'll hide you right under their noses."

For five days we planned, and I continued hiding in the servant's quarters. On the sixth day I was smuggled back to the tower, past guards, servants, and even Arrogh, the magistrate who passed right by us without seeing.

B'lee opened the lock with a sprinkling of rust, and a word that wouldn't stick to my mind. When I tiptoed into the room, I was unnoticed, until the lock clicked behind me. Five sets of eyes looked at me like I was a ghost, even though I was wearing a white dress that matched theirs.

Four girls backed away from me, and it was only An J'la who came to me with concern. "You've been gone almost a month! We thought the guards had killed you, or that you'd escaped. Why are you back here?" She held my hands.

"You're too small. I came back to offer the dragon a bigger piece of meat he can choke on."

"Be'lah, you need to go! Tomorrow it's my turn – you don't want this. I've said goodbye to my friends and family, and I'm ready to..." She didn't finish but burst into tears. I held her small shaking form as she cried.

"Calm down... you're not going tomorrow. I am."

"But I'm ready to die!" Her tears told a different story.

"You're not going to die An J'la, trust me. When they see me tomorrow, they won't be able to resist turning me into dragon bait. They're going to want me gone, and you'll be eighteen and off the menu by the next feeding."

"And what about us?" One of the other girls came toward me with her hands on her hips. Areena looked angry. "You can't just come in here and change everything. There are laws that must be obeyed. If An J'la isn't sacrificed, then it means I'm next!"

"I haven't changed anything for you. If you were next behind An J'la, then you're next behind me instead."

"Why should she get to go free? None of us is allowed freedom! They put us in birth order for a reason. None are wasted. What makes her so special that she gets to live?" Her brown eyes swam in tears.

"You don't have to die – none of you." I looked around the room in exasperation. "Haven't you ever thought about the one main requirement? Virginity. Pluck your own maiden's flower." I could see I'd pushed them too far. But it was too late now that I was thinking of their impending deaths.

I strode to the corner where a broom was propped. The handle was thick and worn and I took it and pushed it at Areena. "It's not a very romantic beau, but it will do the job." She gaped at me and held the broom as if I'd handed her a snake.

"You expect me to..." She was too horrified to finish her sentence.

"Only if you want to avoid the dragon. They're magical and they can tell if you're … intact. I understand you think only witches ride brooms; I'm not going to force you. Tomorrow I'm going to face the beast myself, and I'm going to climb down his throat and rip his tongue out!" They laughed nervously at my bravado.

That night I woke up screaming, certain I'd find wounds where the dragon had torn me. I stayed awake, looking out the narrow window as An J'la sat with me. When they brought us our last meal, I couldn't eat. I thought about trying to make a talisman against the dragon, but I felt it was futile. B'lee seemed to think it was my destiny to face the dragon, and the more time passed, the more I believed him.

When they came to take us to be bathed and dressed, the guards were surprised there were six instead of five. I bowed my head and went docile as a lamb, and was once again treated to the kind of pampering that should be reserved for babies and princesses. Bathed, dressed, and wreathed in flowers, we were lead before Arrough the magistrate. I looked up and met his eyes with a wicked grin.

"What's the matter, can't keep track of one little girl? Wait til you see what I do this time!" As soon as he knew who I was, I ran. In seconds he was screaming for his guards, and I lead them on a merry chase, designed to get as much attention as possible. Less than an hour later we were all lead into the audience chamber, and I was dragging chains. In the presence of all the witnesses I spat on him, catching him in the face.

"You can't feed me to the dragon – I forbid it! You don't have any authority to touch me! You're pathetic and weak! I bet the dragon bit off your man parts already!" I gnashed my own teeth to mock him. I was loud and vulgar, and the magistrate was furious. In spite of the leech's urging to the contrary, and even before Markus the regent made a show of deciding, Arrough decreed that _I _was the one to be fed to the dragon.

"Get her out of my sight!" I was dragged away, and no one swooned over me. I went along with the guards willingly, but as we crossed the courtyard and I looked up at the tall wall I felt real fear seize me.

They had to carry me, as I was the one who fainted. I woke with the wind in my face as we stood high on the crenelated wall. The door to the turret was opened and I was hoisted up a ladder that took me even higher. Even in my tree climbing youth, I'd never been so far from the ground. At the top, a door in the small chamber opened out to a sheer drop that took my breath away. I was released from my chains, and pushed out onto a ledge that was only about two steps wide, and maybe long enough I could lie down if I didn't fear rolling off.

I always thought I'd be chained, but there were no chains, and when they shut the heavy door and I heard the bolt slide home, I understood why. I was out on the ledge, and there was no way out of my predicament unless I could fly or scale the wall. Even if I had eagle feathers or goat's horn, I didn't know the spells that would give me their gifts. The drop was far enough I could see the tops of the trees, and I knew I'd die for sure if I jumped.

The wind picked up and whipped my hair around my face, and the dress tried to pull me from the ledge like a sail. I backed against the door, and noticed several hand grips. I took hold of the solid metal, imagining how many other terrified girls had done the same thing. Had they clung even as the dragon pulled them from the ledge? I wondered if the dragon would chomp me right where I stood, or would it grasp me in its clawed fingers. Would it eat me immediately, or take me to its nest and dine on me in pieces? Did I stand any chance of actually fighting it? Would its mere breath kill me? I knew next to nothing about dragons, as they were so rare.

I was working myself into a fine terror, when I saw it. It was flying from the west with the sun at its back. Even from such a great distance I could tell it was huge. The wingspan was greater than the tall trees below me, and it was so fast, even though I'd just noticed it, I was beginning to make out details. It was long, with an elongated snout, and two horns at the top of its head. The sun glistened off its scales, and its color stunned me.

I'd always imagined it would be black. Every nightmare I'd had since I was a girl, held a deep black dragon. But this dragon wore glistening bronze scales. It was thinner, and longer, and I stared up at it as it flew by me and circled overhead. I held tight to the handles, as the wings blew wind in my face as it passed so close to me I could see its green eyes.

It was magnificent!


	3. Chapter 3 Dragons

Chapter Three

Dragons

Suddenly my nightmare became a reality. Somewhere from behind me I heard a hideous shriek. I knew the sound, as I'd been hearing it for years in my nightmares. I pounded on the door behind me, screaming for someone to please open up and let me inside. The dark shadow loomed over me, as a dragon of blackest night passed over the turret. It blocked out the sun, and I was in a panic as the wind from its wings nearly blew me from the ledge in spite of my terrified grip.

The black dragon launched itself at the bronze dragon with another unholy screech. They were engaged in a mid-air fight, and I knew instinctively I was the prize. I couldn't help but watch as the black dragon tore into the shining dragon, leaving bloody gashes along its side.

The other dragon chomped down on a wing and tore a hole in the leathery membrane, then disengaged to circle the citadel. The black dragon didn't chase the bronze, but instead it landed to the left of me on the turret, and I realized there must be some kind of grips for a dragon to cling to. It's head turned my way, and I feared fainting again, as I saw its red eyes fix on me. I could feel its shallow breath, and it was ice cold. I stepped as far away from it as the ledge would allow, and my heels were over the far edge as five razor sharp claws reached for me.

I had a chance to realize there was no inhumanly white rider on the back of the dragon. But I somehow knew I couldn't let it take me. I let go of the hand hold, and stepped off the ledge.

I expected to die. I thought I would hit the ground or be impaled on the trees below. Instead the wind was knocked out of me as I landed in the taloned hand of the other dragon. Five claws closed around me, holding me so tight I couldn't move, though I could still see between its claws. I heard the other dragon screech at narrowly missing its next meal. The dragon holding me took to the sky, and the black menace was right behind, even though the tear in its wing made it fly crooked.

I was drawn up tight against the dragon's chest as it flew, but still I felt an icy blast hit me as the black breathed cold. The bronze circled, and I saw it bite the tail of the black, before the other dragon turned in midair to snap back. The bronze was fast, and it disengaged and flew straight up into the sky with the black close behind. There was pain in my ears that made me cry out, and the bronze turned on the black and raked it with the claws not holding me.

I was so close, I felt blood splash me, and the shriek of the dragon hurt my ears worse than the climb. Black talons reached for me, and scratched along the bronze dragon's leg as it turned to keep it from getting its prize. The bronze broke away in a maneuver that sent us tumbling toward the ground. I had a chance to see the landscape below, and the citadel looked so small, before the tumbling forced me to close my eyes.

We were flying so fast I felt my hair stinging my face with the speed. The dragon flew low, and I screamed as he headed into a forest, and trees flew past so fast they became a blur. It was amazing, as it wove through the trees without slowing down. I could hear the black as it hit trees and broke branches in its pursuit. I could also tell it was falling behind. I never knew anything could move so fast.

The bronze made a sharp turn, and I could hear the noise of the black fade. We'd lost it! I felt strangely elated at the thought that I was now the prize of only one dragon and not two. The bronze slowed, but didn't rise above the trees, and I knew it was wary of the black catching sight of it again. Then it flew into a heavy stand of trees, and landed.

It kept me clutched in its claws, with three feet on the ground. It's wings furled against its body, and it held me up for inspection. A large green eye looked me over, and the corners of its mouth turned up, as if it were _smiling._ Then it put me down, and its long tail circled around me, creating a small pen, as it watched me. I looked up, and realized we were completely hidden if the black dragon should fly over.

I walked around the small circle, and knew I couldn't escape. "Isn't this the part of the story where you're supposed to eat me?"

A rumbling hiss came from deep in its belly and escaped through its nostrils. It sounded enough like laughter, I smiled in spite of my fear.

It moved quick, and I was snatched up as it lumbered into deeper cover. I watched a dark shadow pass overhead and I knew the black hadn't given up yet. It took a while before the dragon relaxed its guard enough to set me down again. The tail encircled me, and it watched me as I stood in its shadow.

"My name is Be'lah." I looked up at the beast. "Are you going to eat me?" I felt ridiculous talking to a giant lizard. But there was just something about its eyes that made me believe the stories, that dragons were intelligent. Not that I'd ever actually seen one before. They were mostly creatures of legend and fairy tales. Those that were known to be in the world were rare, and they had names and legends associated with them.

The ridges above its eyes raised momentarily, then it leaned in to look closely at me. I held still, as its mouth came close enough to snap me in two. If it wanted to eat me, I had no doubt I'd be lunch. The long snout lightly touched my face, and it inhaled. I didn't move, though I trembled where I stood. I was so close I could see how truly enormous it was. I could easily lie full length on its snout; which meant it could likely eat me in one bite and swallow me whole. Its eyes were bigger than my head, and two protruding teeth were longer than my forearm.

It drew back and we regarded each other. "So if I'm not your next meal, why do you want me?" To that question it dropped its head to the ground, and the one eye rolled up, as if trying to look at its head. I laughed. "You look as if you can almost understand me." It turned its head and blew a puff of air at me, then again laid its head on the ground. I imagined I could climb onto its back, like the leech from my nightmares.

An idea hit me, and I backed away from the fearsome head. I stepped to the tip of its tail, and reached out to touch it. I looked over my shoulder to see immense emerald eyes watching me. The tail was smooth and supple, but also tough. I followed the tail as it encircled me, and ran my hand along the small ridges that gradually grew larger as I neared the dragons body. It reminded me of a snake skin, if the snake had metallic scales. I reached the place where the ridge continued along the creature's back.

I looked at the dragon, and it gave a nod of its head, as if encouraging me. I boldly ran my hand along the ridge, then placed my foot on one lower ridge as I held one on its back. I took a step up, fully expecting the dragon to react. It did, but not in the way I expected. It laid down, as if it were trying to make it easy for me to climb up on its back.

The dress snagged on the scales, and I held it above my knees as I picked my way over metallic scales and an increasingly high ridge. I saw where the wings folded against its body, and as I made it past the shoulders, the ridge became much smaller.. Between the shoulders and neck I found the place where the leech would ride his nightmare mount. I climbed into the space between two large ridge protrusions. I could easily hold on to the thick bronze plate, even if the dragon flew wildly.

It turned it's serpentine neck, and saw me perched there. Again there was that strange head bob that made me feel like it approved. It could kill me in so many different ways, from the sharp teeth in its mouth, to the horns on its head.

As I looked at those horns, something caught my eye. It was a sparkle that was more than the light glancing off the scales. I moved to get closer, and it once more dropped its head. I inched along the neck, glad I'd climbed trees as a girl. The horns were deep bronze, and they tapered at an angle from the top of its skull. I climbed up to the top of the beast's head, and that's where I found the crown.

One horn had a royal crown wedged tightly onto the spire, near the base. It was a dark, like it might be made of iron, and I realized the sparkle must have been the gemstones embedded in the design. I reached out and touched it, then almost fell off as a voice in my head greeted me. "Hello Be'lah." I recoiled and fell back against the other horn.

"Was that you?" The dragon twitched its pointed ears and exhaled a loud puff of air and held still. I reached out and touched the crown again.

"Yes it is me. Do not be afraid, I don't want to hurt you." The voice didn't sound in my ears, but in my own mind.

"What do you want?" There was laughter in my head.

"Later there will be time for me to explain. But now I have to get you someplace safe before E'lee A'zhar returns with his master. Can you ride me, or shall I carry you as I did before?"

"Give me a few minutes." I scrabbled back down to the spot where I would sit. I used the sharp edge of a dragon scale to cut the bottom of my dress into strips I quickly braided into a rope. My legs were indecently exposed, but that made it easier to sit astride the dragon. I tied the rope around the ridge in front of me, and wound it tight around my wrist.

"I think I'm as ready as I can get."

The neck twisted back toward me, and I could reach its horn. I touched the crown and heard his soft voice in my head. "The black one is still out there. I'll have to fly fast to keep away from him. Hold on tight, I cannot allow it take you."

It turned and I held on tight. I still wasn't prepared when the dragon leaped toward the treetops, and the wings unfurled. In seconds we were racing toward the sun, and I was breathless with awe at the speed we were flying.

From my perch I could appreciate the beauty of the dragon. The metallic scales undulated and shimmered in the sunlight, like burnished copper. The wings beat the air with precision and power, and I held my breath as we glided over a thick forest. It was dizzying to see the ground racing away beneath us. I'd never felt anything so exhilarating in my life, except maybe when I'd cast my first spell. Yes, it felt like magic! I couldn't help the laughter that bubbled up out of me.

The dragon twisted in the air, executing a turn that made me clutch my makeshift rope. The serpentine tail whipped like a sinuous rudder behind us, as it angled its head and wings to fly higher. I watched the land drop away beneath us, and the painful pressure in my ears finally equalized as we flew into the concealment of the clouds.

I was so high it was hard to breath, and the air stole the heat from my body and chilled my bare legs. I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around the thick spinal ridge in front of me and pressed my face against its hard surface. It offered me some protection against the wind.

The black attacked out of nowhere, and I heard its screech only seconds before it struck. I felt the power of the collision, and the bronze dragon shrieked as black talons tore deep furrows into its chest. I held on tight, gripping the spiny ridge with my arms and legs, as if riding a runaway stallion. The bronze tore free of the black and cut a jagged path through the clouds in an effort to lose the monster.

It struck again from beneath us, and I was spared the sight of its jaws snapping at the belly of the dragon I rode, by the wings beating furiously to free us from the attacker. I felt the dragon twist, lashing with its tail, and bringing its powerful back claws up to counter attack. The screech of the black beast told me it had been hurt. Both dragons separated, and I felt wet. I looked to see my white dress was no longer white, and I was covered in dark red dragon blood.

My hands were slick with the blood, but I didn't know which dragon was so injured. The bronze wheeled in midair, and I fought to stay on its back. It was a fight I lost as the black collided with us, tearing into the neck of the bronze with the claws of one leg, while the other reached for me as I slid down the side of the beast to where the wing joined its body. The rope held my wrist as I dangled there, scrabbling for a hand hold.

I screamed as the black snapped at me, and razor sharp teeth grazed the fingers of my hand and severed the rope holding me to the bronze. I hit the dragon's wing as I fell, and I tried to grasp the smooth surface as I slid. For just a second, I held the rough edge, then something cut deep into the palm of my hand and I let go.

As I fell I watched the battle above me as if in a dream. The black disengaged and fixed me in its evil red gaze. Its powerful wings flapped as it launched itself for me. Likewise the bronze undulated and dove for me, folding its wings and pointing its snout my way, becoming an immense arrow heading for my flailing form.

I screamed again as I fell like a stone, with the ground rushing to meet me, and two powerful creatures hurtling from the sky in an effort to snatch me from the air. The bronze passed the black, as the black slowed to beat its wings, rather than continue its deadly dive. I was caught in a protective cage of bronze talons, as the dragon itself crashed to the ground, unable to pull up in time.

I felt the jarring impact, and the air was knocked out of me, even as the dragon held me protectively. I hurt, but I wasn't dead. I wasn't sure about the dragon. It's claws opened, and I climbed down to the ground. Its green eyes were closed, and it rested partially on its side. One wing was badly torn by the trees, and I could seen the damage the black had done in the battle. Gouges in the chest were still oozing, but the bite to its belly was open and raw.

I wasn't sure where the black dragon had gone. I'm sure it had seen us fall, but there was nowhere clear for it to land. I heard a groan from the bronze, and realized it was still alive. I pulled a thread from the tattered edge of my dress and stepped close to the wounded dragon. I couldn't reach the wound from the ground, but the tail was close. I tugged the thinnest part of the dragon, trying to drag it closer.

It moved then, and I stood on the tail like a step. I grasped a flap of the dragon's torn hide, and with the silk thread I cast the only spell I knew which might have some hope of helping. It was one we used for mending torn or broken items. I thought of the gaping wound, and how the hide needed to be mended.

The feel of the magic flowing through me was a thrill, even though I was afraid for my life. I felt the power in the silken thread, and the memory of the worm which spun the strong strand. It flowed from my fingers and the magic tugged the hide from my grasp, as the spell mended the hide at my direction. I was exhausted, and I collapsed gracelessly onto the tail supporting me. I looked up and the wound was closed, and I hoped it would heal.

I had no choice but to rest. I knew as I got better at magic it would come easier, but I was still so new even the simplest spells took a lot out of me. A screeching overhead reminded me I didn't have the luxury of rest. I weakly climbed down from the tail, and my legs gave out when my feet hit the ground. I was exhausted.

The dragon moved, slowly righting itself. One wing folded neatly against its body, but the other was torn and broken, and it hung limply on the ground. I pulled another thread from my dress and forced myself to stand. I clutched at my necklace, remembering the strength of both of my parents. I touched the wing with the thread, and again went through the mending spell.

The magic felt like an old friend as it flowed through me and warmed me. I felt the dragon wing mend, and watched the edges knit together. When the warmth left me, I collapsed to the ground and the shakes set in. I'd pushed myself too far, and the tremors in my body kept me dwon.

I had no idea how such a massive claw picked me up so delicately. But I was cradled in a leathery palm as five giant taloned fingers closed over me. I fell into dark oblivion then. When I woke, I could feel we were flying again. I moved to peek between the fingers, and again saw landscape racing away beneath us I heard the shriek of the black dragon. It was distant, but I felt the one carrying me moving faster.

I smelled the ozone of the lightening strike, and heard it crash into the woods to our right. The sky was clear and blue, and the sun was near the horizon. There was no reason for lightening to be striking. I felt suddenly energized as fear took me. It was the leech! I couldn't see it, but I knew my nightmare was chasing me – chasing _us._ The bronze dragon was now more than my protector, it was the only thing standing between me and certain destruction.

Through scaled fingers I could see the dragon drop below the tree line. Suddenly we were weaving between the dense trees with speed and grace I wouldn't have believed something so large could accomplish. I could hear the breaking of the trees in the distance, and knew the black was following us. Another lightening bolt narrowly missed us and I screamed.

I felt the dragon wheel, and I wanted to close my eyes as I could see the black dragon racing toward us with its deadly white rider. There was a pathway of leeched forest trailing it, as the rider was stealing his power from the living things below.

The bronze dragon spun in a twisting flight and dove below the black, raking its belly with one set of claws. Then it changed direction, and came up from behind to snap at the rider. I watched mesmerized as the dragon's jaws somehow gripped the rider without shredding him. The rider was lifted and tossed through the air, and I watched as his fall slowed and he drifted out of sight. Again the dragon changed direction, and he raced the opposite way of where he'd tossed the rider.

We flew out over the water of the sea, and the clawed cage lifted me to the dragon's mouth. Before I could scream, the great maw opened, and I was tossed inside! The jaws locked shut, and I could feel the dragon dive. I held on to a large pointed tooth to avoid being swallowed. Dark, humid, and almost airless, the space played on all my fears, as I imagined being swallowed whole.

It took some time to get over my terror, and realize the dragon was neither chewing nor swallowing. It was holding its breath and keeping its mouth tightly closed. I felt we were still underwater, and the beast had protected me in the only way it could.

When the mouth opened again, it was dark. I stepped gratefully out of the maw. I could hear the sea, and realized we must have come up in some kind of seaside cavern. I felt the spray of the water hit me, and realized the waves were well below me. As my eyes adjusted, I could see I was on a ledge in a cavern, and the opening must have been below the waterline. It had to be the dragon's lair.

I felt something tap my hip, and I was surprised to see it was the dragon's outstretched claw. It pushed against me until I realized I was supposed to have a seat in the scaly mitt. Once it had me in its grasp, it moved deeper into the cavern. I was in total blackness, and I felt rocked gently in the dragons hand, as it traveled impossibly deep into what seemed like a series of caves, joined by connecting tunnels.

He slowed down, and I realized I could see dim shadows and hear something moving up ahead. There was light ahead, and as we got closer, it became easier to see. Finally the tunnel opened up into an enormous room. I stared in shock as the ceiling of the cavern disappeared it was up so high, and I couldn't see the far walls. It looked big enough the dragon could easily fly. The dragon walked into the cavern holding me.

There were magical glowing rock formations illuminating the obsidian walls and casting diffuse light into the space, and there were several more spaced along the floor. The dragon effortlessly hopped over a stream flowing down the center of the cavern, and the lights glowed brighter in the section of cave where he stopped.

It was then the movements caught my attention. The dragon set me down, and I stood transfixed as I stared up at three more dragons. I shook, and when the brightest one dipped its head to peer at me, I collapsed backward into the waiting claws of the bronze. The dragon taking my inventory gleamed golden in the light, and I was stunned by its intelligent blue eyes.

As soon as the golden dragon pulled back another one poked its snout at me. This one was silver and it had large soulful gray eyes. It sniffed me, then the flesh surrounding it's teeth pulled back as if to smile, or terrify me with its deadly display. The bronze dragon swatted at the silver, and they exchanged several clicks, growls, and grunts, making me wonder if it was dragon speech.

A black dragon held back, and it was the biggest of them all. It was terrifying even at a distance, and it startled me to realize it looked just like the dragon that had chased us. Its snout was short and blunt, and it was so black it seemed to absorb light. It didn't have horns on its head, but instead a reptilian cowl fanned out around it's face. It reposed on powerful legs, and even it's front legs were the size of tree trunks.

As I stared, the bronze dragon stepped closer to the black, while I was still sprawled in its unclenched hand. We stopped a respectful distance away, and the black head turned my way. It didn't come any closer, but molten gold eyes fixed on me. Several deep grunts and growls issued from its closed snout, and the bronze tossed his head and backed away.

I was again set down, and I was beginning to feel reasonably sure I wasn't going to be eaten, though the silver dragon continued to watch me as if it felt I would be tasty.


	4. Chapter 4 Royalty

Chapter Four

Royalty

I remembered the injuries the dragon had taken during the fight, and I turned to look it over. The gashes on its chest were closed, the bite on its neck wasn't bleeding, and its wing was healed. When I circled around to look at its belly, I could see it was still injured. The mending had held, but it still seeped and the edges looked painfully torn.

"Ehd Wyrd!" A woman's voice surprised me, and I jumped back as she rushed out of an opening in the wall to the left. She lifted her long skirt and ran lightly to the dragon. It dropped its head to the floor, and the woman paused to run her hand over the scales of its face. She circled its head and her hand stroked its neck lovingly, as she placed kisses on the healing scratches. "Oh dear, you're hurt!" I backed away, hiding in the shadow of its wing.

"Lift me up immediately so I can put a poultice on that." The dragon obediently lifted her with its tail, and she pulled several things from a small bag at her wrist. She smoothed over the dragon scales with her hands, slathering it in a tar-like substance, matching up raw edges until the whole wound was covered. When she finished she wiped her hands on a cloth as the dragon lowered her to the ground.

She put her hands on her hips as she looked up at the dragon. "Please tell me you weren't messing with the North Hag's lions again – you know those beasts are magical, and she'd probably try to kill you if you ate one of them."

"It wasn't a magical lion, May, it was a dragon that attacked him." I heard her voice and I thought I must be dreaming. The tiny woman who came out was familiar to me.

"Alyss? Is that really you?" I stepped out of the shadows oblivious of how bad I must look in my tattered and blood soaked dress.

"Be'lah!" She squealed and ran to me, flinging herself into my arms. "I had a vision of what happened, but I didn't know the woman in white was you. You poor thing, that must have been terrifying!"

"I thought you were dead. They fed you to the dragon, didn't they?"

She was laughing at my question. "They tried, but the dragons don't eat people – especially not when they've got smelly talismans in their pockets." She giggled and looked around at the watching dragons. "Come on, let's go back to our rooms and talk; I've got so much to tell you!"

She lead me back down a short, man-sized tunnel, and into a burrow of comfortable caves. I was given a tour that included several small, furnished rooms, a kitchen, and a main room. I was anxious to talk and find out what had happened since we'd last spoken. But before the talk, I was encouraged to clean up and change clothes.

The bathing chamber in the caves was much less elaborate than the one back at the citadel, but I was told this one had bath water heated by a dragon. I washed in the small pool the black dragon had heated with his breath, and afterward Alyss brought me a fine dress and all the accoutrements to wear. Alyss then introduced me to the woman who had taken care of the bronze dragon.

"Be'lah, this is Ess May – _Queen _Ess May." I wasn't familiar with the kingdom, or her name, but I knew enough to curtsy for a queen.

Her laughter made me raise my head. "Oh Be'lah, don't be so formal, please. I haven't used my title in a hundred years. You can just call me May if you like." The woman had delicate features and even in what I'd determined to be magical light, she had hair the color of pine straw. I wasn't sure how to behave around a queen, but she hugged me warmly and kissed my cheek.

"Relax Be'lah, I've got a feeling you're going to become very dear to us."

From an adjoining tunnel another woman appeared. She was tall, and her yellow hair fell to her waist in silken waves. Her eyes were a vivid blue, and she smiled as she headed our way.

"Be'lah, this is my daughter, Princess Rose A'lee." The young woman kissed my cheeks, and met my gaze directly.

"It's nice to meet you. I do hope you're the one of whom the prophesy speaks." She looked around at the dark cave. "I would truly like to walk freely in the sun once more." I didn't know what to say to her wishful thinking. I was pretty certain that I had nothing to do with any prophesy. But then again I was certain this morning that I'd be in a dragon's belly by the time the sun set, and yet I was still alive.

Before we could talk, the four of us prepared a meal, and I realized I had not eaten since the day before. It was simple fare – nuts, berries, and a stew of root vegetables and meat. It wasn't at all what I imagined royalty would dine upon.

When finally we were able to talk, we sat on rough-hewn furniture, which was covered with cushions and placed around a small fire pit. We were comfortable under animal furs, and though the caves were not exactly cold, there was a damp chill. May began her story, and I could tell it was a familiar one.

"Be'lah, the dragons in the other room are very dear to me. It was almost a hundred years ago that a curse was placed upon my family." She looked uncomfortable. "I guess I should start with an explanation of how succession is determined on Plaht Island. The ruling family is matriarchal. The title is passed down through the women, and has been for generations. I'm queen now, and my daughter Rose will be next in line. If I had only sons, then my son could rein, only if he married and produced a female heir. That has not happened in generations.

"Though the title and lands pass through the woman, the ruling is done by both the queen and the king. If she fails to marry, then she can rule, but she cannot pass the title to her heirs, and it would pass to the closest female relative. It's all quite dreadful and complicated. The only reason these details matter, is because of the curse." She looked pained.

"It was many, many years ago. My husband Khar L'Isle Kellan had been away on a trip. He comes from the mainland, and he was visiting his own family. I had a rather strange visitor in his absence. It was a young man – at least he was young in the way he moved, and his brash demeanor. But he had long white hair falling down his back, and he wore white robes." I felt my body tense as she described the leech of my nightmares.

"The man came into the audience chamber as boldly as any king. He came close, and he frightened me with his blood red eyes. He introduced himself as Jheyms, and claimed he wanted to pledge his troth to me, and court me. As he was outlining how our marriage would follow in a proper fashion. I thought it was possible he was a visitor, unfamiliar with our laws. I laughed at him.

"I told him I was already married, and had been for quite some time. He then threatened that accidents have been known to happen, and leave even queens widowed. I was frightened and angry, and I ordered him to leave. He refused, claiming that none could force him to go unless he willed it." Her face fell, and she hung her head.

"I ordered the guards to take him away, but with a wave of his hand he killed ten of my best men. They collapsed to the floor, and aged to the point of death and desiccation. The archers on the balcony opened fire on him, but he magically shielded himself, and their arrows fell like harmless sticks. Then he waved his arm, and they too withered and died. He walked calmly up to my throne and put his ice cold hand on my face. He told me he would return in a week, and he would bring a ring for me." Rose A'lee held her mother's hand as May told the story.

"I put my scholars to work searching the books and asking anyone who might have an answer to who and what this Jheyms was, and why he wanted my throne. One of them hit on a prophesy, foretelling a white wizard and how he would control dragons. Another discovered a study of magic called leeching, which is one of the unholy white disciplines. He must have learned it on the mainland since the unholy white arts are outlawed on Plaht Island. I'm now certain that Jheyms is a leech." I nodded my agreement.

"My husband returned before the week was up. I was terrified that this leech would somehow take him from me, but he assured me that if Jheyms killed the reigning king, he could never wear the crown. The crowns are as old as the citadel itself, and they magically recognize the rightful heir, and anyone else who wears the crown, dies by the crown." I gasped at her words. It explained why the regent sat on the throne, but didn't wear the crown, even though it was positioned on the carved wood trim at the top of the throne.

"True to his word, this Jheyms returned. He didn't come alone, but brought with him a woman with fiery red hair. I was afraid to stop him as he came in just as boldly as before, though my husband stood at my side. He once again declared he would stand beside me and be my king. My husband was brave, and he didn't know the kind of power Jheyms commanded. He invited him to step up onto the dais. When the white wizard stood face to face with my husband, he took off his crown and offered it to him." May trembled as she recounted the tale.

"Jheyms must have known about the crowns. With a tiny wave of his fingers, the crown left Kharl's hands and floated to the top of the throne and rested there. Then he turned and nodded to the woman he called Vyk Tory'a, and she began an incantation. My husband tried to stop her, but Jheyms... he battered my poor husband, without laying a finger on him. He suffered so much... his bones broke... his blood – there was so much blood! I wanted to go to him, I wanted to stop Jheyms or Vyk Tory'a, but I was frozen in place. I struggled to move, and all I could do was watch." She wept freely as Rose gathered her in her arms.

"It's okay, I can do this." She wiped her eyes and steeled herself. "The woman I later discovered was a witch. She wore the bonds of slavery, and Jheyms commanded her like a trained dog. Clear enough for everyone to hear, he commanded her to change my husband into a lizard. The woman cast her spell, and my beloved Kharl transformed before my eyes.

"The throne room could barely hold him, and Jheyms and his witch fell back as he grew. I'd never seen a dragon before, and I'd only seen pictures of them in the mosaics and tapestries around the castle. What faced us was a monster, but he had the blue eyes of my beloved. Before Jheyms could cause him further harm, he spread his enormous wings and flew He crashed through the glass domed ceiling of the throne room, and disappeared.

"Even as we wept in shock, Jheyms tortured the witch. She had disobeyed him, and we heard her bones crack as he used his magic to batter her frail body. I couldn't stand it, and I rushed to her and protected her with my own body. Only then did he relent. He then left, and abandoned his witch. I hoped my husband would return, but he didn't. Vyk Tory'a explained that it would take him some time to learn to control his dragon instincts. I sent for my healer, and instructed Eff Rayum Bla'ak to heal the witch."

Rose A'lee spoke up. "I had been traveling with my father, the first time this evil man visited my mother. Before this Jheyms ever came to the castle, I met him. I... I had no idea who or what he was. He came to a ball hosted by the father of one of my friends. She was seeking a suitable husband, and invitations were sent far and wide. He came dressed in robes, and his white hair was tied back. He was starkly handsome in a way. But he wasn't interested in my friend, but instead pursued me.

"We danced. His hands were cold, and his eyes frightened me. When I mentioned it, he tried to cast a glamor on me, suggesting that I see he had hazel eyes. But my crown prevented his magic from affecting me. I pretended I saw what he wanted me to see, but I tried to avoid further contact with him. Later he caught up with me on the balcony, and he tried again to ensorcel me. He commanded that I fall under his spell, and accept his courtship. He told me he would marry me and become my husband.

"If I had only known... I would have been more respectful. I would have accepted his proposal, if for no other reason than to spare my family." Her face became stern and resolved. "I would have killed him before he ever saw me in my wedding gown! Instead I rejected him. I didn't laugh – I was worse. I scorned him. I made him angry."

May comforted her daughter, then continued with the story. "I had the witch, and she survived. Jheyms terrified her, but she told me her story. It seems Jheyms was just a simple young man when she met him. He fell in love with her, and tried to win her, but she was already in love with someone else. He didn't take her rejection well. He promised some day she would regret turning him down.

"Vyk Tory'a was in love with a man named L'rawnt. She didn't think anything of Jheyms' threat, and she married her love. Two years later Jheyms returned. He was a pale shadow of himself, and he demonstrated that he was more powerful than she was, even though she was a very powerful witch.

"He was furious to discover the object of his obsession was already married. Worse, she was expecting her first child. With one word, L'rawnt was immobilized, and forced to watch Jheyms' demonstration of his power. He put his hands on Vyk Tory'a, and she felt the baby within her fighting for its life. She was helpless to stop him, as he drew the life from the infant within her. She felt it grow small, and feeble, and she felt the moment it died. She went into labor, and within hours she delivered a withered, dead baby.

"Jheyms imprisoned her husband, and in exchange for his life, he forced Vyk Tory'a to do his bidding. He took her as his concubine, and he forced her to use her good black magic for his own evil ends. Leeching is very powerful, but it is destructive, and artless. He needed the witch to cast the kind of spells he required. Since he couldn't kill Kharl, he wanted her to change him. She hoped Jheyms would kill her for her disobedience. She wanted only freedom from him. She feared becoming as evil as he was with her cooperation.

"She told me some of the things she'd learned as his slave. She knew he discovered the power of leeching from an old tome, but most leeches never become so powerful so fast. The stolen magic transforms their bodies into conduits, and it can take decades to become as powerful as Jheyms. Typically leeches are killed by great black mages, who cannot abide such an aberration. But Jheyms grew quite powerful in a very short time." May finished speaking and turned to Alyss.

"I know how that happened." Alyss looked at me and smiled wistfully. "He killed my mother." She wiped a tear, then shook her head. "That's not quite true. He didn't kill her – he only weakened her to the point of death." Her sparkling amethyst eyes met mine, and I wondered that I'd never noticed the unusual color before.

"My mother was a fairy – a guardian from the Fey realm. There is a large group of sea stacks just off the mainland, and my mother lived her whole life on the top of the largest of these monoliths. She had a small forest, and it was impossible for any one to reach her unless they could fly.

"Jheyms knew just enough white magic, he flew. He knew how to detect powerful sources of magic, and he believed there was one atop the sea stack. He was still too new to understand what he was actually sensing. It was a gateway to Fey. My mother was the guardian, who was there to make sure none from the human realm gained access. Of course it happened that wild things came through from the other side, but they typically went back home after a little fun.

"He didn't see the gateway, as it was hidden from normal human eyes. What he found instead was my mother. First he leeched the wild growth atop the stack, then, sensing she couldn't escape, he leeched her.

"Normal humans weaken and die when even an average leech drains them. But Fey don't just have magic, they _are _magic. He drank her – pulled the very essence of magic from her tiny body, and left her there to die. He flew back to the mainland, drunk and overflowing with stolen power. The sea stack sensed the loss, and it quaked. When it collapsed into the sea, the gateway was lost, and my mother was trapped on this side.

"It took her many years to heal, and regain some of her strength. She traveled to Plaht Island, and it was here she felt the presence of a similar gate. The gateways go to different realms, and some are two way, and some are only one way. Here she sensed a two-way gate, and discovered it was to the dragon's second realm. There is a way to go through different realms and make it home, but she was too afraid to go through the dragon realms in her weakened condition. She was resigned to live the remainder of her life here.

"It was here she met a kind man, and decided to share a life with him. She married my father, and they were happy for a time." Alyss wiped more tears from her pretty face. "When she became pregnant, she was happy. She knew I would be a daughter, but she also knew she would die when I was born. She was too small to carry me full term, and even though I came early, it was too much. Fey usually have magic to assist them in giving birth, and she didn't have it. So, you can see why I blame Jheyms for my mother's death."

I went and sat down beside my friend, and wrapped her in my arms. Her eyes were intense as she continued her story. "I've always known I had to oppose Jheyms, but it's the dragons the prophesy speaks of. It's the dragons which pose the threat to this very world. Jheyms figured out too late that my mother guarded a gateway, and now he's discovered another one – the one here on this island. He believes that if he can gain control of the gateway, he can bring the dragons through. Dragons are some of the most powerful creatures in all the realms, and he thinks to control them."

"He is a fool!" Rose spoke with such vehemence it startled me. "Dragons are never controlled. Dragons are indeed powerful, but any control he could possibly gain would only be illusory. The black he rides is not under his control, though he believes it to be." Her derisive laughter chilled me. "I wish it would just save us all the trouble, and eat him!"

May resumed her story. "Be'lah, Jheyms seeks the power of the dragons. He believes the gateway is hidden by Kellan Castle, and indeed it is. It's not in the castle proper, it's much deeper. The gateway actually lies deep beneath the citadel, and there are only two ways to reach it. One you already know."

"Are you saying the gateway is in these tunnels?" I was shocked at her revelation.

"Yes – not far from where we sit now. Kharl discovered it himself years ago, when he was still a young knight – before we were married. He was quite the adventurous spirit then." She smiled at the memory. "Of course he discovered another way in when we married. It's hidden within the castle, and only the crowned king or queen can access it."

She looked at me, as she exposed a secret few others knew. "There is a reason for our matriarchal rule. It's because only those who have dragon blood in their veins can protect the dragon gate. It's unlikely that a mother can be duped into believing a child is hers if it is not. If she gives birth, it's her child. So the title goes from mother to daughter, to insure the bloodline is pure."

"Why? I mean what do you mean they must have dragon blood in their veins?" I was confused.

"Our history books tell a tale that happened generations ago, before the citadel and castle on Plaht Island. The story is represented in tapestries and artwork in the castle as well. It seems a dragon came through the gateway and settled in the caves of this mostly uninhabited island. The citadel was just a dream, and the Castle was a tiny fortification. King Plaht's wife had recently died, when he moved his family from the mainland. He was the brother of the king who ruled over the known lands. The island was large, but it was small in comparison to what his brother held.

"It didn't matter to him, as he loved the island, and wanted a place to raise his children. He had three young sons, and his first born daughter. His daughter was lovely, and she had suitors lined up to court her when she left the mainland. She was of an age to marry, and she worried she was doomed to become a spinster.

"The princess was lonely and perhaps a bit reckless and rebellious. She began riding her stallion out on the island from sunup to sundown. She was bold as her own father, and she refused an escort, preferring her own sword to defend herself.

"She rode west one day, and traveled hard. When she came to the sea, she was struck by the beauty of the cliffs, and she dismounted and whiled away the hours as the sun set. She didn't allow herself time to make it home, and instead camped along the cliffs. As she rested, her horse disappeared. In the morning, she found the bones of its devoured carcass.

"She didn't know of anything that could consume a horse so quickly, and she knew fear for the first time. As she began her long walk back home, she often felt as if she were being watched. She traveled during the day, and rested at night, and in the night she often woke, believing she was in danger.

"On her third night, just as she was setting up her camp, a young man came out of the woods. He was a handsome man, with glistening black hair. He was the largest man she had ever seen, tall and muscular in a way that would dwarf other men, including her father. The man brought meat to share, and she cooked over the fire and they had a meal together as he told her a fantastical tale.

"He insisted that he was not a man, but a dragon. He claimed he was old among his kind, and he could pour his essence into human form. He told her of a place where dragons flew so thick they blocked out the sun – where every rock and tree held a dragon perch. He spoke of dragons of all sizes, shapes, colors, and temperaments. And he told how happy he was to be away from them.

"The princess was enchanted by his fairy tales. The man accompanied her for three more days, and by the time they reached the castle, she was in love with him. The man asked the king for her hand in marriage, but the king had other plans. He had been working to find a suitable match for the princess, and a young royal on the mainland had already agreed to marry her, sight unseen.

The princess was distraught, and no sooner had she rested from her trip, she packed up again and left in the night. The young man met her at the edge of the known land, and they ran off together. The king was not without resources, and he sent his knights after the princess, with orders to slay the kidnapper. One by one, his knights returned, with tales of clashes with a fierce black dragon.

"When the king rode out himself, he followed a trail of bones and broken armor. On the far western side of the island, he discovered his daughter, living in a cottage with the young man she loved. When he insisted she come home with him, the young man refused to let her go, as he was quite in love with the princess. The king demanded to face the man in battle, and he was stunned when the young man transformed before his eyes into an enormous black dragon. The princess then perched atop the dragon, and he flew away with her.

"The princess was gone for twenty years. Her brothers grew up and went to the mainland, and left the king with no heirs to all he'd worked so hard to build. Shortly before the king died, a doorway opened up in the castle, and the princess stepped out. Behind her came six children, and one large man with dark black curls. The king was overjoyed to see his daughter again, and promptly sent for scribes to pass ownership of the island to her.

"The princess changed the laws when she became Queen, and the island was owned by a woman, and ruled by a dragon. Each of their six children were half dragon, though they looked like perfect, beautiful human children. The dragon ruled fairly, and people came to the island, and found they could prosper. The citadel grew around the castle, and the children made their way in the world, but for the daughter who married and became queen beside her husband.

"When the queen was old, the king lead her out into the courtyard, and in front of many startled witnesses, he changed into a dragon. He lifted his queen onto his back, and they flew away, never to be seen again. And from that day on, anyone who rules Plaht Island, must be descended from that couple. The crowns themselves are hammered from dragon scales, and they recognize their own."

I could only stare as the story sank in. "So... the witch Vyk Tory'a turned the king into something he had been all along?"

May laughed. "No. Kharl has no dragon blood in him at all – at least not until the curse. I am the one descended from the dragon. My two sons and my daughter Rose A'lee as well."

"You have sons?" I immediately began to worry that Jheyms had leeched them.

May smiled indulgently. "You have met them both. Ehd Wyrd brought you here, and J'Spurr is the silver dragon in the chamber. And of course King Kharl is the gold dragon – my husband."

"They changed your whole family into dragons?" I was stunned at how deep the curse ran.

"Jheyms is quite vengeful and tenacious. He wants power, and he will stop at nothing until he gets it. He himself is now over a hundred years old, and it is the power which sustains him.

"He is an evil man!" Rose A'lee spoke from her mother's side.

"Yes." May agreed. "For almost a hundred years we have all suffered under this curse. We are all hidden here, and he cannot detect us, no mater how much magic he wields. The caves protect us, and the abandoned crown proves we still live."

"Be'lah, they are running out of time." Alyss gently spoke beside me. "After the king was turned into a dragon, the rest of the family believed all they had to do was find him, and the witch could change him back. They believed Jheyms had left in defeat, but they were wrong.

"Jheyms returned, and he came with a handsome young man. It was L'rawnt, Vyk Tory'a's beloved husband. As we all watched, Jheyms stole twenty years from the man, turning him middle aged before our eyes. He threatened Vyk Tory'a, that she must complete the curse, or he would make her husband a corpse while she watched. The queen was surrounded by her children, and Vyk Tory'a was forced to cast a metamorphoses spell against them, as Jheyms held them immobilized.

"The blessing is that Vyk Tory'a knew Jheyms to be traitorous and evil, and she again foiled him. She was supposed to turn the male heirs into something short-lived. She promised Jheyms dragon flys, and instead she gave him dragons – again. Jheyms was so infuriated, he took her by the throat, and all watched as he drained her. Her thick red hair turned white and she grew feeble.

"It was then L'rawnt begged for the life of his wife. He promised that _he _could curse the family, if Jheyms would not drain his beloved. Jheyms was used to getting what he wanted with threats and intimidation. He believed L'rawnt, and he agreed not to drain Vyk Tory'a."

May took over telling the tale. "L'rawnt was a powerful witch in his own right, and he began a curse that terrified me. I was still human, as was Rose, but my sons and my husband before them had been transformed. L'rawnt promised that they would remain dragons, until I agreed to leave my husband and wed Jheyms of my own free will. He further cursed that if one hundred years passed, and I had not given in to Jheyms' demands, then my family would fully become dragons, thus losing their humanity."


	5. Chapter 5 Prophesy

Chapter five

Prophesy

Alyss resumed the story as May wiped tears from her eyes. "Jheyms was angered that L'rawnt gave them such a long state of grace. He killed him and his wife, not with draining, but with the cold iron of his sword. Their severed heads rolled at the feet of the dragons, and the two beasts acted in tandem. Ehd Wyrd picked up his mother, and J'Spurr picked up his sister. Together they leaped into the sky through the open dome."

Rose took over the telling. "L'rawnt knew what he was doing. In cursing us, he was not only trying to save his beloved, but trying to save the realm. What has seemed like a curse on the surface, is actually a smart move. In allowing us a hundred years to right this wrong, he moved our time line to coincide with a prophesy."

I wanted to deny the connection. "I've memorized this prophesy, and there's nothing to it. A great bird will save the realm from dragons. That's not a whole lot to go on." I felt defensive as I'd somehow become drawn into this whole mess.

"The great bird will save the dragons of good, and put to route the dragons of evil." Alyss looked at me with a smile. "Be'lah, my mother made that prediction! She knew I was destined to meet you. She knew you would save this realm from the dragons!

"But it's not ME!" I stood up and paced. "I'm not a great bird, and I'm not even a great magician. I'm a no one. I couldn't even save myself from an initiate leech. You've got the wrong girl!"

"No, you are the one." Alyss stood and faced me. "By the next full moon, the curse becomes permanent. There are only two ways to break the curse: Either Queen Ess May renounces her husband, and willingly goes to marry Jheyms..."

"That will _never _happen!" May is so upset she leaps to her feet.

"... or the white wizard must be slain by the avenging bird, from the realm of the high elves." This was part of the prophesy I had not read.

"What?" I was so confused, I watched as Alyss took my hand. "You bear the mark, Be'lah. You are the one." She held my hand up, and showed me the scar on my palm The half moon showed stark in the magical light.

I jerked my hand away from her. "That proves nothing! All initiates of K'will Utte have that mark. It's a talisman against the leeching. It protects us, and cannot be lost or stolen. We all have our hands cut, and the rune is sewn into our palm. I'm not special. I'm not chosen. I'm not the one... I'm sorry, you've put your faith in me."

Alyss continued to smile. "It is you. The rune is not the sign." May and Rose joined her, as she again took my hand in hers. We could all see the half moon scar, but Alyss spoke a single word, and the scar glowed silver in the light. "You are special Be'lah. You alone have the blood of high elves in your veins. It's from long, long ago, but it's strong within you. It's why magic is your calling. Why did you leave the mainland and your training?"

Three sets of eyes met mine. "I... " I was afraid to tell them. They were already convinced that I was some sort of savior, and I knew I was not. "I have nightmares. I've always had them, for as long as I can remember. When I was little, they made me... I would scream and cry, and there was talk of locking me away. There was talk of exorcizing my demons – by torture.

"My mother and father never got along. She finally left my father and took me away. When we moved, the nightmares faded. But then they found me. I went from one nightmare a month, to one a week, and then they came every night. My mother moved with me again, and again I knew calm and rest."

I looked at them; they were listening intently to my words. "We moved almost every six months, so the nightmares wouldn't get me. I knew they would get me if I stayed. They are different, but always the same. It's like watching the same events from different perspectives. It's always the white leech on a black dragon – always. I try to run, and they catch me. I fight and I fall to earth and die. Sometimes the dragon eats me, sometimes I'm struck by lightning, sometimes I fall into a pit of fire, and sometimes the white leech spills my blood before an unholy altar. But I always die –always."

"What about your training?"

"My mother... my mother wanted more from her life than to be always protecting me. I came of marrying age, and she believed that I should find a good husband and let him slay my nightmares. She herself had found a good man and wanted to settle into a life with him. I went back to live with my father."

"I thought your father wanted to lock you away?" Alyss was very frightened of this idea.

"No. He would never have even thought about it, but those close to him advised him on that course. My father is one of the kings trusted sheriffs. Having a crazy daughter could have lost him his position. No, he would never hurt me.

"It was good to be back in the familiar forest of my childhood, but not even a year passed when the nightmares came again. My father tried his best to comfort me, but I knew I had to leave. Just a short journey from there, was a magical enclave. I hoped I would find protection there, and I set out to join the K'will Utte's.

"I progressed fast in my studies. I wanted so much to learn all they had to teach, and I studied every minute of the day. In a very short time I received my initiate's robes, and I was looking forward to second tier completion. That's when the nightmares caught up with me. There was nothing anyone could do to banish them.

I said goodbye to everyone I knew and traveled with a caravan to the south. In the town of A'nje Luss Port, I bought passage on a trade boat headed to Plaht Island. You know the rest."

"What do you think would have happened if you hadn't moved away?" Alyss held my hand in her tiny one.  
"He would have caught me." I knew it with certainty that the white leech had been looking for me since I was a child.

"Why does he want you?' May's kind voice softened the question I'd been pondering for years.  
"I don't know."

"You're the key to the prophesy." Rose spoke with confidence.

"Don't you get it? I can't be the one to save you if I die!

"Only in losing her life, will she gain her future; only in her future can the people be free." Alyss whispered the words of the prophesy and we all stared. "It is you Be'lah."

I couldn't stand them all looking at me, as if I'd pull some great magic out of thin air and make everything right. I turned and fled, down the tunnel I came in. I wanted to leave. I wanted to run away, and sail back to the mainland. I wanted to pretend I'd never head of dragons, or leeches, or prophesies. I came out into the open room and suddenly I had no idea which way to go.

I knew to go back across the stream, and I had made it across when I realized I was being followed. The bronze dragon was quite stealthy, and it was only the glimpse of his reflection in the obsidian that gave him away.

"Leave me alone!" I knew he could understand me, and didn't care if he was some kind of prince. I stormed to the entrance we'd come through without a look back. I remembered that the king had found the caverns when he was a knight, and so I believed I could swim back out through the entrance. I had several tunnels to choose, and I picked the one that seemed the most worn.

I had to cast a spell to light my way, and I meandered along, with the glow ball going before me. The tunnel opened up into a huge cavern. It clearly wasn't the way out, and I stared. It was full of bones. Most looked like large animals, but there were some which were clearly larger – other dragons most likely. The majority were so old they were bleached white, but some closer to the edge of the pile looked fresher.

As I stared, something disturbed the pile off to my right. The light from the glow ball didn't go far, but it didn't have to. Several giant rats scurried out of the pile and headed my way. They were the size of dogs, and their red eyes looked at me like I was their next meal. I started to cast a repel spell, but I was sure they'd reach me before I could send them away. I hoped they didn't have diseases, as I knew I was about to get bitten.

Something pushed me, and I fell before I could finish my spell.

It came in fast, and silent, and three rats were destroyed before I took my first breath. The dragon didn't spare a glance for me, and two more rats exploded as they hit the cavern wall. It chased two more to a pile of bones, and they died before reaching concealment. One darted past me, and the dragon smashed it with its tail before it could escape.

I stood up, and dusted off my dress. I didn't know whether to be angry that it had followed me, or grateful it had just saved me. It turned awkwardly in the room, shaking the bloody remains from it's scales. Green eyes peered at me, and I smiled. Not too many people ever have the benefit of a guard dragon.

I was so caught up in the dragon's presence I almost missed it, but another disturbance left the pile of bones. I screamed. Three of the biggest rot worms I'd ever seen skittered out on one hundred legs of death and decay.

Rot worms could be dangerous if they bit you, but they were usually small and kept away from anything large – unless it was dead. They had big, venom-filled pincers, which they used to turn flesh to a rotten, liquid, they consumed.

Two died as they tried to pass the dragon to reach me, and the stench filled the air. The third was faster, and it moved snake-like just out of the dragon's reach. It made it to the wall, and disappeared under a pile of small bones, and I lost sight of it. I realized the dragon was trying to smell it, but the odor from the others interfered with its ability.

I felt it before I saw it. It dropped down onto my back from the ceiling, and I felt the paralysis of its bite on my neck. I couldn't even scream. Next would be the pincers that would kill me. The vivid green eyes of the dragon met mine, and the rot worm was plucked from me before it could turn me to putrid mush.

The worm writhed in its clawed hand, and faster than I could blink, it sank its pincers into the dragon's flesh. The dragon roared and crushed the worm. I fought against the paralysis, and took the sash from my dress to tie it around the arm of the dragon It watched me as I pulled it with all my strength to keep the venom from getting further than its paw.

The spell to cure the rot was easy, but I lacked a simple component – something live and healthy. I grasped the dragons wing, and used the sharp edge like a knife across my palm. I could tell the rot had already started turning the dragon's flesh to jelly, and I didn't waste time as I dripped my own blood onto the wound. The incantation I knew from memory, was from the first tier of magic – life.

The pus boiled up and oozed from the dragon's hand, and dripped onto the floor. I made sure not to touch it. Several minutes of concentration and incantation drained me. When I finally dared to look, the dragon showed no signs of the injury. I removed the sash from his arm, and wrapped it around my hand to stop the bleeding.

"You saved my life." I looked up at the dragon, and its eyes were wary as it scanned the room. It lowered its head, and nudged me with its snout. "You took the venom it intended for me; it would have killed you." It nudged me again, less gently, pushing me toward the tunnel.

"Fine, I'm ready to leave, you don't have to be so pushy!" I felt its warm breath whoosh against my neck as I started down the tunnel, and I wondered if it was laughing at me.

As soon as I couldn't smell the stench of the rot worms, the dragon picked me up in its paw. I marveled that there wasn't even a scar on its scaled hand. I was irritated that it had come to fetch me back, but considering what almost happened, I didn't complain.

I was surprised when I wasn't returned to the main cavern. Instead it took me to a dragon sized room, and set me down again. The dragon made itself at home, curling up on the floor, with its snout resting on its paws and its tail wrapped around it. I envisioned a large reptilian cat – one with green eyes that watched me like a mouse.

I looked around the room, and as my eyes adjusted to the light, I saw it was a room of polished obsidian. It was beautiful, the way all the surfaces gleamed in reflective black glass.

"Is this your room?" The dragon gave a slight nod to my question. "It's beautiful." Its eyes looked pointedly up, and I knew it wanted me to touch the crown so we could talk. With more confidence than before, I clambered up over the scales to find a comfortable perch, where I could reach the crown. It surprised me how easily it bore my weight, even when I stepped onto its delicate looking neck scales. I was happy to see that its injuries from the day's battle had mended, and I realized it must have amazing healing powers of its own.

When it was still, I found it was easy to sit on its head, and lean back against the horns. Any contact with the crown allowed me to hear its thoughts.

"You should not wander in these caverns. There are far more dangerous places than the bone room. Even if you found the way out, it is unlikely you could fight the current and swim out on your own." Its voice in my head irritated me with its commanding tone. It wasn't advising me, it was ordering me.

"I thought I was supposed to be the savior of the world. Maybe it would prove everyone wrong if I was bitten by rot worms, and eaten by rats! I just needed some time alone – to think."

It was quiet for a bit, and I thought I might have offended it.

It had changed its tone when it again spoke into my mind. "This has been my room for almost a hundred years. The big black dragon, M created the obsidian. He has flame breath. I don't have any magical breath – yet."

"Why not?" I knew so little about dragons.

"It comes with age. All dragon powers and abilities come with age. In my human lifespan I never would have reached an age to feel the power of the dragon blood in our lineage. But I am starting to feel it now. My father doesn't have it, but J'Spurr and I do. Even when the curse is broken, we're old enough we will likely share in some of the dragon abilities."

"What happens if the curse isn't broken in time?" I felt his great sadness before his mental words

"I will be like this permanently – a dragon in fact as well as form."

"Well... if you have to suffer from a curse, this isn't such a bad way to live. I mean it's better than being a frog." I felt his humor in my mind.

"You are delightful!" He laughed, but then grew serious again. "Most humans are terrified of dragons – and rightly so. I'm told people are quite tasty to dragons."

"You never... ate anyone?" Again I felt his laughter.

"I'm not a cannibal Be'lah – I'm still human under these scales." His mood changed again. "I'm not sure if I'll be dangerous if the curse isn't broken. I fear losing my humanity. Sometimes I feel the instincts of the dragon, and it overwhelms me."

"What kind of instincts?" I was so curious about the dragons.

"The urge to fly – the freedom is... it's magic to me. When the curse is broken I will mourn that loss. There is also a prideful sense of entitlement that's difficult to control. When I hunt, I have always gone to virgin forests, and sought only wild game. But lately I've felt drawn to the herd animals that graze in the fields. I feel strangely as if it's my right to take them. I have resisted, but it's mostly because I know it would disappoint my father." I got a mental image of how benevolent a king his father was, and how much Ehd Wyrd respected him.

"I also..." I felt him trying to block or stop his thoughts, but then he relented and shared. "...I really wanted to eat you."

"What? Why?" In my distress, I had to remind myself to keep contact with the crown.

He blew out a breath of air, and I felt the warmth waft up. "You have elf blood in you. I know from talking with M, he's the black dragon you saw, that dragons find elves especially tasty – irresistible in some cases. It's why he didn't want you to get too close. It's why J'Spurr looked like he wanted to take a bite of you."

"How does everyone know I've got elf blood, when _I _didn't even know?"

"Dragons are magical creatures, and elves are magically oriented. Alyss can see it, since she's half fey. Even Mother and Rose can sense you're different.

"Does Jheyms the white leech know?"

"He knows prophesy. He may suspect."

"How do the black dragons figure into everything? M is a _real _dragon, right?" I heard his mental laughter at the question.

"M is entirely dragon, and he's very old. He's been inhabiting these caverns for at least five hundred years. You'll need to talk to him when you're ready to hear about the prophesy from the dragon's point of view"

"He knows about that?" I'm surprised that something so old and powerful would be tied up in my mess.

"He knows the dragon the white wizard rides – it's his nest mate."

"They're related?" Just the thought chilled me. "So, what's to stop him from turning me over to the wizard?"

"Nothing, except that he's a good dragon, with enough sense to oppose his brother." A lot of thoughts flew through his mind without resolving themselves into words. There was a lot of confusion about dragons in general, and what made one good or evil. "You really do need to talk to M."

"What if I don't?" I felt a rebellious streak of denial. "What if I just refuse to participate in this whole prophesy party? What if I just sail back to the mainland and wash my hands of all this?"

"No one can force you. But if you do that, I'll become a dragon forever. So will my father and brother. Rose will never be able to assume the throne, and the leeches will steal the kingdom after she dies. And Jheyms will gain control of the dragon gateway. If he learns to open it, dragons will flood into this realm, and even the mainland won't be safe. They will come for you, Be'lah. If Jheyms can control them, he will want you dead. And if he can't control them, they will want to eat you – or worse."

"Wonderful. So I get the choice of dying soon... or dying later."

"I will protect you." In his mind, his words felt bashful. "I will watch over you and guard you with my life."

"Why?" I had to remember to speak, since he couldn't read my mind.

"I... I want you to live. I want to meet you when I'm human again." I felt there were other things he could have said, but his mind was a riot of confusion.

"What were you like, then? I mean what were you like before you were cursed?"

"I was a prince." He didn't elaborate.

"Yes, but what did you look like? What did you like to do? What were your days like? What made you laugh? What did you want to do with your life?"

"I was Mother's second son. The throne goes to Rose, and if something were to happen to her, then it would be J'Spurr's daughter – if he had one – who would be next in line. I hoped to be a knight like my father. I was seventeen when I was changed, and I was already a squire. I could use the longsword, and I was skilled with a bow..." I heard his laughter again. "...and I could play the lute and sing. J'Spurr claims one of the blessings of being changed is that I can no longer sing."

"What did you look like, I mean were you tall? Did you have red hair like your mother?" I felt his thoughts shuffling, as if he didn't want me to see something.

"Well... I look better as a dragon." There was a playful feeling to his words. "I was... short, and homely by human standards. My hair was pepper red, and my skin was pink and freckled. I was prone to rashes, and my face was covered in oozing pustules. I was very fat, and my teeth were quite the horror. Small children would run from me. Even the dogs wouldn't play with me unless I brought them food. I was so ugly, I would even scare the horses – I had to blindfold them just to ride. Mirrors would crack when I walked past..."

"And yet you still managed to learn the longsword, the bow, and how to play the lute. Are you teasing me Ehd Wyrd?"

"Oh _never. _ I was a hideous monster – just ask my brother if you doubt." It was clear he was indeed playing a game with me. I could sense his laughter, just below the surface.

"Perhaps I will."

"Of course you'll have to wait until the curse is broken, since he doesn't speak – except in dragon tongue. We believe his crown was damaged in his escape, and he only has empathy now. Mother and Rose understand dragon quite well – for humans. Alyss seems to have an innate sense of the language. She and J'Spurr have spent hours in conversation, ever since he plucked her from the tower."

"Why did _he _take Alyss? And what have you done with all the other girls?"

"We take turns collecting the offerings. Usually we fly them to the mainland where they'll be safe from the usurpers. J'Spurr knew Alyss was different, so he brought her here. The talisman you made for her was intriguing, and he wanted to know what it was and how she came to have it. As soon as we found out about you, we knew the time of the prophesy was at hand."

"Why did they think they needed to sacrifice these young women?" I wanted to avoid further talk of the prophesy.

"We demanded they do this."

"But why? Ehd Wyrd that doesn't make any sense!" I remembered the terror of standing on the ledge as I waited to be eaten by the dragon. Again I felt him laughing at me.

"Be'lah, they are all safe. For five years we have been taking this monthly tribute, and it's for the good of the people." He stood then, and I scrambled to hold onto him as I couldn't see the black surface of the floor so far beneath me. "Climb down to the spot where you rode before. I can sense the other dragon and wizard are long gone. I want to show you something. If you can hold your breath a ten count, I won't need to hold you in my mouth. Just hold on very tight, so the water doesn't pull you off."

I scrambled down to the spot where I'd ridden before. I wanted to tell him that it was too dangerous for me to fly or swim with him, but I didn't really care. I'd loved the feeling of flying, until the other dragon had chased us, that is.

He walked to the place where the water rushed into the caverns. I missed being able to talk with him, but I was anxious to leave the cave with him and fly. At the edge of the ledge, he made a series of clicking sounds five beats long, followed by four clicks, then three. I recognized the count-down, and I was ready to hold my breath.

When he dove, I held my breath, but I was unprepared for the cold and the dark. I lost half my air in a gasp of shock, and my lungs were burning by the time he broke the surface of the water, and his wings took us soaring into the night sky. I was cold as the wind rushed through my wet hair and dress, but I was overjoyed at the effortless way he glided on the night air currents.

The moon was full, and the sky was full of stars, and once my eyes adjusted, I was able to see. He flew low over the water, and the light glimmered on the waves. He banked easily, and I recognized the shoreline. He flew along the coast, and then winged his way inland. We passed over a village, and he dropped into a heavy stand of trees, and landed in a small clearing.

He crouched so I could climb back up to reach his crown. I was surprised to find I'd dried out during our flight.

"Thank you Ehd Wyrd, the flying was exhilarating."

"Did you see the village we passed?"

"Yes."

"For years, Rose A'lee has been visiting that village. There's a roadside inn, and it receives a lot of trade traffic. She spends a week every year at the Inn, and claims she's a peasant girl going to visit an aunt. In the time she's there, she listens to talk and rumors and she learns what's happening, in what will some day be her realm.

"Just over five years ago, rumors told of a warlock who accompanied the new regent Markus. The more Rose learned, the more alarmed she became at the brutality of the white leech. She feared he worked for Jheyms, and was preparing the way for him to take over the throne. She also feared that if you showed up to fulfill the prophesy, they would be in a position to kill or drain you, with no one the wiser.

"We put together a plan to save people from the white leeches, and to save the _great bird _when she arrived. For weeks we terrorized our own people. We set fire to fallow fields, stole livestock, and even picked up villagers and left them in trees, on top of barns, and other uncomfortable places. When we made our demands known, they were eager to comply."

"What exactly were your demands?"

"The virgin sacrifices, of course. We were very specific about the requirements, and all of them came from what we know of the prophesy. Jheyms only knows of the great bird, but we know what she looks like, and what..."

"Why virginity?" I interrupted him with my question. "How would you know that?" I was embarrassed to ask, but needed to know. I heard faint amusement in his answer.

"The virginity was the least important. It was J'Spurr's idea, since he claimed all dragons want to eat virgins. M of course told him he was wrong, but once we thought about it, it made sense. We didn't want to take a girl away from a suitor or husband, or a mother away from a child. It narrowed the field down quite a bit."

"All the other requirements...?"

"Exactly what we needed to find _you."_

"How did you know what I looked like? I mean isn't the prophesy over a hundred years old? I wasn't born then."

"M knows more specifics about the prophesy than what was written. You really need to talk to him."

"So... how was taking the offerings supposed to be good for the realm? Wouldn't that terrify the people?"

"Certainly. We wanted them terrified. The leeches are a greater threat to them than we are as dragons. They need lives to sustain such great power. Our realm doesn't have any black mages of sufficient strength to oppose them. We believe Kai'as is taking orders from Jheyms. Neither of them has a reason to care about the people.

"In the short time Kai'as has been in the citadel, dozens of our subjects have been murdered. Any who oppose them are drained. The terror over the dragon attacks and the fear for their families has caused the people to flee the island as fast as they can climb aboard the ships. The regent doesn't care that the people are leaving, and neither do the leeches. The magistrate notices, but he's a fool who only cares about throwing lavish balls and bedding the courtesans."

"They're running out of sacrifices. There were only five left after me. What happens when there are none left?"

"It won't matter. By the next full moon, the curse becomes permanent if Jheyms still lives. If they put another young woman on that tower, she may indeed become a dragon's meal." His words were so solemn they chilled me.

"So you've been trying to make everyone leave the island?"

"It's going to get worse before it gets better. Jheyms will likely want to be at full strength before he has to face the challenges of the prophesy. That means he and his fellow white wizards will be stealing the life from every living thing surrounding them. Then there is the possibility of a conflict with the great bird. Regardless of that outcome, there could be dragons coming through the gateway. Normal peasantry tends to suffer most in times like these."

"You sound concerned for them."

"I'm very concerned. It's my duty to see to their safety. The village we passed is empty now, but for a few who refused to leave. Rose has secured a treaty with a king on the mainland, so our people can remain there until the conflict is resolved. It's the same all over the island. Be'lah, if you don't help us, all those people will lose their homes. This island will become a barren rock, and evil will flood into our world."

I felt tears spill and trickle down my face, and I wiped them impatiently. I'd seen enough simple folk in my travels to understand how helpless they were to the threat of Jheyms and his thirst for power. The reason I'd moved so often in my life, was because I knew the white wizard would catch up to me if I stayed. But even more, I knew he would destroy everything around me, and I would rather run than see that happen. In truth, I would rather die than see others suffer for my choices.

"I've been running from him for so long. It must end here."

"Yes." Even in my mind his word sounded final.

"I don't want to die." I barely breathed the words, but I could tell from the swivel of his ears, that he heard.

"I _will _protect you. We will be prepared, and he will not win."

"I wish I had your confidence. I have this _bone deep _feeling... that I _am_ going to die."

"_No Be'lah!"_ I heard an edge to his thoughts, as if he were desperate to change the outcome I knew – had known for as long as I had memories.

"You're sweet." I smiled and tried to believe that he could hold back my fate. "What do I have to fear, with a big strong defender like you?"

"So now you trust me?" I heard his gentle laughter in my head. "Maybe you should fear me. Perhaps I just want to save you from the leech and the black dragon, so I can... have you for myself."

"You're not going to hurt me. You don't eat people." I was certain of it.

"You're not normal people. You have elf blood... you would taste delicious." I could feel the teasing of his words, but there was truth to them as well.

"You don't terrify me, Ehd Wyrd. Besides, I wouldn't be a very satisfying meal; I'm too skinny."

"You're not too skinny... you're beautiful." I listened for the teasing in his thoughts, but it wasn't there. I let go of the crown. His words reminded me that he wasn't a dragon, but a man. I felt suddenly ridiculous sitting on his head, and even though he couldn't see me, I tucked the hem of my dress under my legs.

It was a few minutes before I touched the crown again. I could deal with a dragon, but a man was something else. The dragons had accidentally chosen a requirement for their sacrifices that fit me all too well. I truly was a virgin. I was neither married, widowed, nor promised, and I had never stayed in one place long enough to be courted. I'd left behind potential suitors time and again, as my own prime crept up on me..

It was common for a girl to be married or at least promised by the time she was sixteen. If she saw her eighteenth year come and go, it was often because there was something that made her undesirable. It was still possible to marry her off, but the wedding gifting went the other way, and it was the bride's family who paid the grooms. When I arrived at my father's home, he had noted the passing of my seventeenth year. I rejected every potential suitor he could point in my direction. Myk Newt had been the last, prompting my father to begin collecting gifts to lure a potential husband.

The dragon's opinion that I was perfect, was a reminder that I wouldn't live long enough to marry, no matter how many gifts my father collected. I would never know of love and motherhood. I would be a memory before I passed my prime.

"I have frightened you, I can sense it." I felt his concern.

"It's not you who frightens me."

"The prophesy... and Jheyms." I felt his anger as he thought the name.

"Yes."

"Don't think about it, I'm not going to let you die. Come, let's fly while we still have night." I didn't argue, but climbed down to my perch. Just feeling him move beneath me banished my worries. His power, when he spread his wings and leaped into the sky made me squeal with delight.

"I love this, Ehd Wyrd!" I thought the wind tore my words away, but his head swiveled on his long neck, and the moonlight twinkled in his eyes. I raised my arms above my head, and whooped, a sound of pure joy, as my hair flew behind me and his wings took us out over the water.

It was like a dream come true for me. As much as I'd been terrified of my nightmares, and being carried off by the black monster, it was never the flying I'd feared. I'd loved climbing high up in the trees throughout childhood, and I'd always dreamed of flying away like an eagle. One of the reasons I'd studied magic so hard, was because I dreamed of the final spell in second tier – flight.


	6. Chapter 6 Elf

Chapter 6

Elf

I lost track of time as we soared, both over the island and out over the water. My eyes adjusted enough to the night, that I could make out the shapes of villages, trees, and fields of the island. He circled a clearing, and I saw a glittering ribbon of water beneath us. He landed gently, and I climbed back up to the crown, anxious to have my questions answered.

"Why have we landed?"

"This is a safe place. I need to leave you, and go hunt. The pool there is warm and clear of predators, if you would like to swim while I'm gone. If anything threatens you, scream and I will hear."

"How will you hear me?"

"My ears have become attuned to your voice."

I dropped my voice to the softest whisper. "Even now?"

"Yes, even now." I felt his good humor. I climbed down off his back, and I hated to see him go. He was a marvel, as his powerful wings took him effortlessly into the sky. I watched his shimmer disappear among the stars.

I looked around the clearing, and it was probably one of the most beautiful places I'd ever seen. Even in the dark I could make out the perfumed flowers, and the blossoming trees. But what made it truly magical, was the stream running through it. It fell from a height that was even taller than the dragon, and the water cascaded like glittering white gems, into a circular pool, before the stream meandered on, out of sight.

I'd always had very good eyesight, and the knowledge that I had elven ancestry made me wonder if it was the reason I could see so well in the dark. Not that I knew what traits elves had, but I'd heard their eyesight was unmatched. As far as I knew, there were no elves in the world, but they were in some of the books I'd read. They were tall, thin, and graceful, which made me wonder how I could be related to them at all. I was thin, but I was only a little taller than other women, and as far as grace... I was a disaster.

The glade he left me in was like something out of a storybook. I took my slippers off, and the grass was soft on my bare feet. I could smell so many tropical flowers, it was as if the air itself were perfumed. I looked up at a sky scattered with a million stars. I sat down beside the river, and dipped my feet into the cool, fresh water. I could feel the dried salt water on my skin, and decided to wash while I had the chance.

I removed all but the dress I was wearing, and piled slippers, sash, silken pouches, and slips neatly in a pile, and waded into the water. I rinsed the salt water of the sea from my hair and the dress, then scanned the meadow and skies above before I took off the dress. I wrung it out, and hung it to dry on a branch I could reach. I waded toward the waterfall, luxuriating in the deepening pool.

Swimming was something I had always loved, and I remembered my mother R'nay teaching me when I was barely able to walk. The only time I ever felt graceful, was while I was skimming through the water like a two-legged fish.

I swam about, exploring the pool and even standing under the pounding water of the falls. I dove to the bottom, to collect colorful stones, polished smooth by the force of the water. I put the most beautiful in one of my pouches. I floated on the water, with my hair fanning around me, looking up at the lovely night sky, and I wondered again, who had hung each and every glow ball in the distant darkness. The radiance of the moon beamed down on me, and I felt a tranquility steal over me. The dragon had given me a needed respite from all I had learned so recently.

I closed my eyes and drifted, feeling the tiredness of the long day easing out of me. A breeze across my skin startled me, and I woke in the predawn light. I'd fallen asleep in the liquid arms of the pool. Looking around at the brightening colors of the clearing, I felt a presence in the lush landscape. I swam toward where I'd hung my dress, and saw the dragon resting right where he'd landed before.

I climbed out of the water, into the cover of the low branches, and pulled the dress over my head. I was struggling to put on the slippers, when the dragon issued a series of grunts, clicks, and hisses.

"No need to apologize, I needed to wake up anyway." My head snapped up, and I stared into his wide green eye. "Did I just understand you?" His little head bob said yes. "That's impossible, I don't know any other languages." I scrambled up onto his back and climbed to the crown, before I'd even put on both shoes.

I touched his crown and heard his laughter in my head. "How do you sleep in the water, without drowning?"

"I've always been like that. I feel safe in the water."

"You're not afraid of sea monsters?" He still sounded like he was laughing at me.

"All the monsters I know of, live on land. Stop trying to distract me – how can I understand your language?"

"You're an elf." He didn't elaborate.

"No. I'm a human girl with a teeny little bit of elven ancestry. That's not enough to help me with languages – is it?"

I felt his sigh. "You are special, Be'lah. You want to pretend you're not unique, but you won't be able to hide it much longer. You can understand me, at least a little, because you are an elf. You have the racial memories of elves within you."

Just then, my slippered foot lost purchase on a scale, and I slid down the slope of his neck. I fought to grab hold, but instead I bounced awkwardly against his shoulder and fell toward the ground. I wasn't so high that the fall would kill me, but I knew it would hurt, like falling from a tree – which I had done on many occasions.

He caught me before I hit. It wasn't his scaly mitt or even his tail, but his mouth that made the catch. He held me by the back of the dress, and I dangled there in midair, before he set me on the ground. Again I heard his strange language.

"I _was _being careful! If I'm an elf, then why am I not graceful?"

I translated more dragon speak to mean, "You're graceful in the water." It embarrassed me to think he might have seen me without my clothes. I wondered if a dragon would care about my nakedness. Then I remembered he wasn't just a dragon, he was a prince – and a man. I felt my face heat up, and knew I was blushing. I turned away, and hurried to finish with my dressing.

Another stream of dragon tongue made me look up. He'd advised me it was almost dawn, and he wanted to race the sunrise with me. I quickly forgot my embarrassment at my immodesty, and hurried to get ready. My hair was wet and my dress was still damp, but I climbed up and took my seat between his shoulders.

As he leaped into the air, I couldn't help but laugh. I wasn't sure which was better, flying or magic, but I knew I loved them both. As the sky lightened, he rose above the trees, and we soared to the east. I saw the citadel far to the left, as he flew out over the water. I let go, spread my arms wide, threw my head back, and squealed with joy as the wind whipped through my hair.

"I love flying! You're so lucky to be able to do this all the time." His next move felt like it should have made me lose my seat. He nosed toward the sky, and flew in a complete backward circle, and at one point I was upside down, and being held in place by the speed of his flight. All I could do was laugh, and he followed it with a fast spin, as he tucked his wings and twisted several times in a straight spiral.

"That's amazing! More!" In answer to my encouragement, he gained speed, and flew close to the water. With his legs stretched out behind him, he hit the water on his stomach, and skipped across several times on the momentum alone, like a flat stone. On one landing, I came down hard in my seat, and bit my tongue. I tasted blood, but it was nothing compared to the fun I was having. He again winged for the sky, and then his head turned to look at me.

Even in the wind I heard his observation that I was hurt. He could smell my blood. He stopped his tricks, and flew steady as we watched the sun come up and send rays of pink, orange, and purple across the sky. He then banked and flew west, and we raced the light across the sky. His dragon speech told me to hold my breath and hold on tight.

The water was even colder, but I knew what to expect, and I even managed to keep my eyes open in the water. I saw how deep he dove, and felt his powerful kicks taking us up into the submerged caverns. He shot out of the water with the strength of his swimming alone, and he didn't need his wings to take us to the ledge above the waves.

His clicks and grunts told me I needed to go to where the women stayed, so I could change and dry off.

"I would rather stay with you. You don't make demands on me, and you don't look at me like I'm here to save you." He answered me with more of his speech, and it seemed it was getting clearer the more I heard it.

"You need to go stay with the women. I don't want you to become chilled in your wet clothes. Mother will be worried about you if you don't come back." He paused a moment. "I don't look at you as my savior, because _I _am going to save _you. _I have already saved you three times."

"Dragons must count funny; it's only been twice. You saved me from the black dragon, and you saved me from the rot worms. That's twice."

"Three times – I have not eaten you myself." He turned one baleful eye on me, and brought his mouth down to my level. I was about to argue that he wasn't going to eat me, when his wide forked tongue flicked out and he licked the full length of my body. "Delicious!"

I squealed and backed away from him, and I was sure his hisses were dragon laughter. I felt slimy, and I imagined I could smell what he'd eaten. I wiped my face on my sleeve.

"I'm going to get you for that, Ehd Wyrd! Maybe I'll change you into a frog just for fun!" I didn't know any spell for transmutation.

"Stick to the main hall, and you won't get lost – go _elf."_

"You better watch your spiny back, _dragon." _His hissing snorts followed me down the main hallway.

He was right, and May was worried about me when I made it to the human caverns. She insisted I bathe and change clothes once more. I was protesting about yet another change of clothes, when Alyss showed me where they were coming from. There was an entire small cavern full of dresses, gowns, slippers, shoes, and every manner of outfit in between.

"Almost a hundred years worth of clothes, brought back from Rose's foray's into her kingdom. Not only does she have to look as if she fits in, but the money she spends helps the tailor's and seamstresses. Queen May doesn't believe in wasting these clothes, so they are worn, washed, and altered as needed." She indicated her own dress, almost a foot shorter than most. "As you can see, some are _very _altered."

Once dressed, I was lead deeper into the caves. "You and I can share a bed chamber. They moved the beds in here earlier. May and Rose share as well. There is plenty of room to have our own space, but it's not safe to be alone. There's not much that can get into these caves, but what does manage, can be dangerous. They're warded against most things, but it's best not to take chances." She didn't have to convince me; just the idea of facing a giant rat or rot worms alone was enough to keep me from sleeping alone.

Even though the sun was up on a new day, I was given the opportunity to sleep. The bed was large and comfortable, and I drifted off immediately.

The screech of the dragon alerts me to its presence. I hear its inhuman communication, and know it isn't trying to say something; it's venting its fury. I feel the jarring crash as the bronze dragon falls to earth under the assault of the black. I extricate myself from his tangled limbs, and run. It's futile, and tears streak my face as I try to reach the cliffs. The cliffs mean safety.

The black breathes a powerful gust of cold, and it nearly freezes me, even through my protective wards. If I can just make it to the cliffs... the forests, and vegetation wither and die around me, and I'm exposed as the dragon tries again to catch me. I'm so close I can smell the tang of the sea. The wizard unleashes his stolen power at the sky, and clouds gather and erupt in a torrential thunderstorm. Lightning flashes across the sky, and I see the metallic flash of a distant dragon shot down.

I feel the talons dig deep, and the pain steals my breath and my screams. The weight of my dangling body shreds me on its claws as it wings for the sky. I can hear its grunting, clicks, hisses, and snarls, and I know the black monster wants to finish me. It argues for the chance to shred me and eat me piece by piece as I scream. I can feel its hatred and animosity toward me, as the claws tighten.

"Come!" Even above the thunder and the pelting rain, I can hear the command of the white wizard, even in my bones. The black menace releases me, and I hover so far above the ground I can't make out any details. I'm drawn astride its back, and the emaciated arms of Jheyms encircle me. I know I can't let him win. I gouge my thumbs into his eyes, and throw all my weight to the side. It's enough, and I slide from the back of the dragon, and fall.

My screams echo in the darkness.

Alyss, May, and Rose all gathered around as my nightmare woke me up. My clothes were drenched from sweating, and my heart was still racing. Alyss held me tight and tried to comfort me.

"Your nightmares have found you, because the prophesy is at hand. You won't be able to hide from your dreams. The white wizard is coming for you, and there is nowhere to hide." Her words made me feel panicked, and I was startled to see tears in her eyes. "We're going to fight this together, Be'lah. He's not going to win."

We met in the larger room, and they all sat close. "The nightmares won't go away, but you can learn from them. What you're seeing is a type of foretelling. Each nightmare is a possibility, but not a certainty. You can use these visions to help us plan his defeat. What you need to do, is tell us everything you remember about these dreams. Then tell us what's changed. The changed parts are the most fluid."

I spent the next hour, recollecting my nightmares. I told them what was familiar and always happened, and I noted what seemed to change. I noted that for the first time I understood what the dragon was saying, and how it argued with the wizard.

Rose's voice was calm and practical. "That dragon isn't being controlled by the wizard. It's working with him for a reason. If we can find a way to break their alliance, it could turn the conflict in our favor."

I told them also that for the first time I saw other dragons. I saw Ehd Wyrd fall, and I saw the lightning shoot another from the air. Alyss and May were both on edge when I described the gleam of the metallic scales in the light.

"I also felt very strongly that I had to reach the cliffs. I believe the battle happens on the west coast of the island, and I was trying to reach the cliffs in hopes of making it to these caverns. I either needed to get here for a reason, or I felt like I would be safe here."

Rose spoke up. "The black dragon probably wouldn't follow you here, since he's afraid of facing his brother M."

"Is there a reason M can't leave the caverns and fight his brother on the outside?" I was confused as to why the good black dragon couldn't help fight the bad black dragon.

"M is only allowed to leave to feed. He's bound to the gate. If he leaves, the gate is unguarded, and anything can come through. He typically brings his prey back to the caves to feed, to minimize the absences." Rose seemed to know a lot about the dragon. She'd certainly shed some light on the bone room for me. "When it comes to guarding the gate, M is our last resort. He protects it from anyone trying to go through from this side, and he destroys anything that comes through from that side."

"Then how are there any dragons in this world?" I know I'd heard stories and legends of dragons in mostly uninhabited places.

"Every now and then, while he's hunting, something slips through. If it gets off the island before he catches it, it gets to live. He makes sure it never goes back through the gate."

"Why? Wouldn't that be better for our world, to get rid of any dragons that make it here?"

"You don't understand, Be'lah, The dragons are not coming here just because they want to look around or cause mischief. They're looking for a new home. If any make it back to tell the tale, a flood of dragons could pour through the portal and overwhelm M."

"Why are they looking for a new home? Don't they already have a home?" I was even more confused.

"They have a dwelling realm..." She looked nervous. "You really should speak with M, since he can tell you more than I can."

"I thought he just wants to eat me." I had no desire to face the black dragon, which looked so much like the one from my nightmares.

"Of course he wants to eat you; _all _dragons want to eat you, Be'lah, you're close enough to being an elf to be quite appetizing. However, M and the others have enough self-control to keep from munching on you, as long as you don't make them angry or bleed on them." I thought she was just joking, as I remembered I'd already done both of those things to Ehd Wyrd, and he didn't eat me.

"So why..."

She cut me off. "You really do need to talk to M. I can't answer all these questions myself. Do you want to go now, or do you want to try to go back to sleep?" The choice was difficult – trying to sleep through more nightmares or facing a living nightmare. I needed information.

"I guess I'll talk to M." Rose lead the way in silence, and I followed her out to the main cavern. Ehd Wyrd wasn't there, nor was King Kharl. J'Spurr eyed me hungrily as we walked past, and Rose clicked and hissed a draconic warning not to tease.

"Do you really think he's only teasing?" The silver scaled dragon's tongue rolled out of its mouth, and drool puddled on the floor, as it watched me with its blue eyes.

"Of course he's teasing. If he really intended to eat you, you'd already be gone. Besides, if he eats you, the prophesy will be nulified, Jheyms will win, and at least one handsome prince of marrying age, will be a giant lizard forever." She pitched her voice so it carried to the silver beast. "Trust me, no woman – or fairy for that matter – wants to be tied to a giant newt for all eternity."

He stopped watching me, and I could swear he scowled at her. His brow ridges drew closer and he growled deep in his throat.

"Don't you dare look at me like that, J'Spurr! You started it; trying to frighten our guest."

I understood his language. "_She's not frightened of me. But perhaps you should be frightened, for comparing me to a newt, little sister." _

_ "_You don't want to get me angry, J'spurr. You know I'm not without my resources." Her warning seemed to calm him, and he backed away.

"Come on Be'lah, don't let him get to you." She lead me away from his blue-eyed gaze.

"He doesn't bother me. I've never had a single nightmare where a _silver _dragon eats me – it's always been a black."

"Oh my..." She patted my arm as she lead me deeper into the cavern. "You don't need to worry about M. He's as gentle as a bear cub, and he promised he wouldn't eat you."

"Do you trust him?' I felt my knees wobbling, and my hands shook

"I trust him with all my..._ life_." We stepped around a corner and into an alcove. I almost didn't see him, but then the darkness moved, and glistened. Huge golden orbs turned my way and blinked. I cut off my scream of surprise and the squeal echoed in the caverns.

I heard a deep, rumbling laughter from the dragon. "_I scared an elf!"_ I understood his draconic speech easily enough.

"You surprised me, hiding in the shadows like that."

"_You're lucky you can see me at all. Most beings cannot see an invisible dragon. Most beings would lament that lack most unpleasantly." _Again I heard his deep laughter. I remembered the bone room and stepped back, mentally going over the spells I knew. I had nothing in my memory which could even hurt a dragon of his size.

I backed into Rose, and she stepped past me and glided up to the dragon. "M, she didn't come here for you to try to bully her or show her how superior you are. She needs answers." She reached up and laid a hand on its scaly face. Her hair blew in the gust of its breath.

"_I will see that she gets the answers she needs. Would you be terribly upset if I only took a nibble of the elf? A few fingers, or a foot perhaps?" _One topaz eye watched me, and the corners of the great maw turned up, as if it grinned.

"Do not harm one hair on her head. I mean it, M." She shook her finger, as if scolding the dragon. I almost laughed, but I got the feeling she could back up her admonishment, even though I didn't know how.

"_Fine,"_ it sighed in dejection. "Come along elf; follow me." Without another word, the dragon moved out of the alcove, and headed down the long hallway. Rose stayed behind, and I almost didn't follow. She gave a gesture with her head and hands, and I reluctantly went after the dragon, quickly disappearing down the dark hallway.

I should have conjured a glow ball, but I didn't think it could move so quickly. I stubbed my toe and tripped over the hem of the dress and fell. I was even more dismayed when I realized I'd scraped my palms. I stood, and dusted myself off, and was just about to create a light to see by, when I noticed two gold orbs, uncomfortably close. I felt the breath from it's nostrils, as it sniffed my blood.

I fought not to scream as my wrist was caught tight in the grasp of it's razor sharp claws.

_"Hold still and allow me to clean your wounds and make them heal faster." _Its mouth opened and its hot, ribbon-like tongue slipped out, and it licked my palm before I could protest. _"Mmm, elf blood is so delicious." _My other hand was snatched the same way, and again it licked my blood from my palm. I trembled, as I thought about how easily it could make a meal of me.

"_You should be healed by the time you return, and she will have no reason to be angry with me. Perhaps you should ride instead of walk – you are a most clumsy elf. Climb up and hold on." _It turned around, and I started to climb up, as I had with Ehd Wyrd. I was only halfway up the tail, when it began moving again.

It was fast, and worse, the tail swished from side to side, sweeping the floor between the two walls. It was all I could do to hang on, and when it finally stopped, I gratefully climbed down. Again it seized my hands, and licked my palms, which had continued to ooze during the ride.

_"So sweet... " _It sighed, and a gust of warm air hit my face. _"You will find all the answers you need, through there." _

"Where? What do you mean?" The dragon had already turned and was moving fast, back down the hallway. I stood in the blackness, and I was just about to cast a light spell, when I noticed the wall was faintly glowing, just a few steps away. I moved forward, cautiously, and with each step, the wall glowed brighter. It looked like some kind of magical door, and as I stood before it, it glowed bright white – enough to light the hallway.

I reached out to touch it, and the light dimmed, and the doorway became opaque. From where I stood, it looked like it was a doorway to a garden. I stepped cautiously through what was obviously some kind of gateway. My feet were cushioned on soft grass, and the air felt as if it were warmed by the sun. I was startled when I turned, and the gateway wasn't a door in a wall, but a stone archway free standing in a meadow, and what was the hallway and door was now gone.

I stood mesmerized, as I knew I was no longer in the cave, but I had no idea where I was. The smell of the flowers on the air, reminded me of the clearing where Ehd Wyrd had left me the night before. I stepped further into the clearing, and it was almost like I'd stepped into that very same meadow. I listened, and I could hear the waterfall.

The grass was taller, but softer, and the perfume of the flowers was almost intoxicating. Butterflies and birds flitted among the flowers that both grew from creeping vines, or hung from the heavy-laden trees. I stepped around the lush growth of trees and vines, and I saw the cascading waterfall, splashing down into the pool below. Colorful fish leaped out of the water and plunked into the stream. In the light of day, it was clear to see this wasn't the same clearing I'd seen last night. This was just _more._

Everywhere I looked, there was something new to see, from the unfamiliar birds to the flitting insects buzzing about.

"Don't just stand there, come closer so I can see you!" I was startled, and I took several steps to see who was talking. She was sitting on a rock, with her bare feet dipped in the water of the pool. I froze, and just gawked.

She wore a gossamer white dress that fell somewhere just past her knees in lacy scallops. As I stared, she stood, and she was the most graceful thing I'd ever seen. Even the butterflies looked awkward next to her. Her hair was earth brown, and glistened in the sun. Her skin was pale as moonlight, and her features were delicate, and more lovely than any woman I'd ever seen. Her eyes were rich brown, and larger and more innocent than any I'd ever seen before, and she was tall and willowy.

I took her in at a glance, and my gaze was transfixed by one feature alone – her ears. They were long, and came to a point almost at the top of her head. She smiled, and I felt physically assaulted by her beauty. She took my breath away, and I forgot to breath for several moments. My feet moved me gracelessly forward, and I came face to face with something I'd only heard of in legends – an elf.

She was a head taller than I was, and she looked down on me with an enthusiastic smile that baffled me.

"Hello Be'lah, I'm your ancestor, R'ness" Her language was completely unfamiliar to me, and yet I understood her perfectly. "We have so much to talk about. I have been waiting a very long time for you. Come and make yourself at home in my garden."

"Where is this place?"

"Sit and relax." She perched on a rock, and again her feet disappeared into the water. "This place no longer exists in the real world. It used to be part of my homeland, but that's been gone for hundreds of years. There is a similar place on this island. I created that garden while I was free to roam this world. But even that place was only a shadow of the original. This..." She indicated the place where we sat, with all the beauty surrounding us. "...is only a magical construct of the place I remember."

"Are you a prisoner here?"

"Not exactly. I'm not free to leave, but I'm not imprisoned here either. I'm a guardian of the gateway."

"But I thought this was a gateway to the dragon lands here in the caverns. Why would you need to guard it?'

"It is a long story. But I have been guarding this gateway since before it was a dragon gateway. It was once an elven gateway. The dragons have overcome my home realm, and now I share guardianship of the gate, with a dragon. We will continue to share, until the last elf passes from existence, then I will likely pass away myself, and he alone will be guardian.

**A/N: This chapter is late due to a vacation. I'll try to get the updates by Thursday from here on out. Thanks for reading.**


	7. Chapter 7 Magic

Chapter 7

Magic

I had so many questions I wanted to ask the elf. I couldn't believe that I was even distantly related to the lovely, graceful creature.

"Do the others know about you?" I was surprised that they had kept the information from me.

"Sit Be'lah." She indicated the rocks beside her, and I dutifully pulled off my slippers and hiked up my skirts and dangled my legs in the pool beside her. Her eyes were disconcerting, as she stared at me, and her smile made me nervous.

"Relax child, I'm not going to hurt you. You are my great-grandchild of fifty generations. You are the culmination of so many plans. Just seeing you here, makes my whole life worth living." She reached out, and touched my cheek. Her fingers were long, and thin, but she was very real.

"Your friends have not seen me; the doorway will only open for you. They do know I exist, as the dragon knows I exist. They have only seen me once, when I allowed them to look through the doorway and see what I looked like. They needed to know, so they could see what you would look like. I told them you would look just like me, but you would be human."

"How did you know? I mean how could you know what I would look like? If there really are fifty generations between us, then that makes no sense."

"It would make no sense, if your lineage had been left to random happenstance. But there is more magic and mystery in you that you can comprehend. I only gave birth to one child – a daughter. She in turn only had one child, also a daughter. Over and over again this was repeated. You are the fiftieth link in an unbroken chain that passes through history, and leads directly to me. Make no mistake Be'lah, you are no accident."

"Why? Do you know how insane this sounds?" She leaned into me and put both hands on my cheeks, cradling my face in her palms. Her large eyes looked into mine as she spoke.

"My world is lost, Be'lah. This world will be lost if you do not save it. You were not only born for this, you were _conceived _for this. Several great mages of my world, contributed to making you possible."

"Does that mean you and my grandfather were both elves?" She laughed at my question.

"Of course not, though I might wish it were so." Her smile fell away from her face. "No. I came through the gateway before the dragons became a serious threat to my world. They came through in a flood, but they were manageable at first. We fought them, and we had losses, of course. But our world was large, and we inhabited only a small portion of it." She sighed.

"The realm of the elves – the part where we lived and thrived—was more beautiful than any you can imagine. This meadow is but one insignificant fragment of what could be seen there. Elves above all else, are artists. What human hands do in paint and sculpture, we would do in plants and our surroundings. We are ageless and timeless, and we had the time and patience to create all manner of wonders. I knew a man who had spent three hundred years, just to grow the perfect, thornless rose. I spent much of my time there, encouraging the river to turn, so it would fall from the rocks to create a waterfall.

"There were great cities tucked within forests, which had been cultivated for thousands of years. Every tree was designed for the way its branches would grow. It was Utopia." Her face twisted up, and even though she didn't even scowl, I could tell she was angry, furious even.

"The dragons came. They were content to stay in the uninhabited part of our world, but they didn't plan to stay there forever. I was already safely on this side of the gateway, when they began their war. I heard word of the attacks, first on distant outposts, then on outlying villages. These were surprise, sneak attacks for the most part. The dragons would swarm our people, destroy their dwellings, and carry them off. We were horrified to discover our people were being eaten—devoured alive at times."

She wiped tears from her eyes. "Be'lah, you have to understand the loss. We can live forever if nothing happens to us. The dragons were treating our people as nothing more than food. The death toll was small, but the losses were unimaginable. Centuries of knowledge was lost with every victim.

"Our people fell back and abandoned the outer places. We concentrated in one area, and we prepared for war." Her hands dropped away from my face, and she stared off into the distance.

"We fight primarily with magic. Elves have magic within them, and it comes naturally. Add to that a limitless lifetime to perfect our magic, and you can imagine what the dragons faced when they finally came for us.

"I was not there when that war was waged. I was sent an illusory memory fragment from someone who was there." She shook her head. "Our magic is fierce and deadly. But the dragons had greater strength, and greater numbers. This witness saw the horror, as again and again the dragons broke through the lines to kill and destroy. Dragons fell to elven magic, but more took their place, as the sky was dark with them."

I listened to her story, and I could see fresh pain on her beautiful face. I don't know how many years had passed, but she still felt the horror as if it were yesterday.

"I lost everyone I knew in those days." Fresh tears rained from her eyes, and dripped onto the white dress before she could wipe them. "Mother, Father, grandparents going back twelve generations... all fell. Kithmaron, my beloved husband of two hundred and forty-seven years, fell to the dragons. I lost them all while I was in the relative security of this world. I could not even go to visit their bones, as all who fell were consumed by the beasts."

Even though it was ancient history to me, I could feel her anguish over the losses. I imagined a people, each as lovely as the one before me, fighting and dying to the menacing dragons. To know they were eaten as well, added to the horror. It reminded me of my nightmares, and the terror I felt over my potential fate. I couldn't say a word, and I was surprised when her long, thin fingers wiped tears from my face.

"Shhh, you have it in you, to save this world from a similar fate. You are not helpless, as I was. You have a power within you—a ferocious power that would cause the dragons real fear if they knew."

"I think you've made a mistake. I'm just a normal girl. I've barely even passed the first tier of magic..."

"Enough! I refuse to listen to these feeble protests. I am not wrong. I have not spent all these centuries guiding and protecting your lineage, so you could lament your shortcomings. You will do what is expected of you, or you and your world will cease to exist—am I clear?"

"Yes..."

"Good. Now, show me what you already know." I went over all the spells I learned from the first tier, while she watched impassively from her rock. When I finished demonstrating what I could, without all the materials I needed for some of the more complex spells, I was exhausted.

"Remarkable..." She stood, and I smiled.

"It is remarkable that you have learned so little in the time you've lived." My smile died on my face. "It's pathetic really. You've barely acquired a rudimentary grasp of magic."

"That's not fair! I only had half a year to learn!"

"You don't _learn_ magic Be'lah, you _are_ magic. You may not be a full elf, but you are as close as can be born in this world. Magic isn't a skill you acquire, it is a power within you." Her face changed, and she looked suddenly furious. "I don't have time for this!"

She pushed me hard. Even without my innate clumsiness, I would have fallen, as she was much stronger than she looked. I toppled into the water of the pool, and came up sputtering.

"Defend yourself, _Swan_!" I was treading water in my soaked dress, when I recognized she was casting a spell. I didn't think she could possibly be serious, but when her hand pointed at the water, I realized she was much more powerful than any sorceress I'd ever seen.

A leaping fish, froze in midair, and fell into the water. The water where it landed began to freeze, as if winter had suddenly overtaken it. The ice moved toward me, as the water solidified, and the warm water turned suddenly cold. I thought of casting a fire, or warmth spell, but it required a pinch of charcoal I didn't have. I tried to swim away from the ice, but the dress was pulling at me, and making it hard to get away.

"You will die here and now if you cannot save yourself from such a simple spell." I dove down into the depths of the pool, and I could see the ice spreading along the surface. It was freezing solid, from top to bottom where it first began. I wiggled free of the dress, and swam to the further reaches of the pool. I tried to climb out of the water, but she spoke another word and it felt as if invisible hands pushed me back in.

"Think child, E'lee A'zhar has breath much colder than this, and he will freeze your blood and chew you like ice. What will you do?" I was beginning to shiver, and I saw the ice was crossing the pool to reach me.

I felt the calm of the water, and remembered the spell. I cast the spell for heat, even without the charcoal, and put all I had into it. The water immediately felt warmer, and the progression of the ice slowed, and then stopped. Buoyed in the warm water, I pushed at the edge of the ice, raising my hand out of the water, as if directing it. The ice melted, and gave way to the warmth, seemingly flowing from nowhere.

"You are doing well." She watched me from the water's edge. "Push it all back." I directed the heat at the ice with my hand, and the ice melted, everywhere I pointed. In just a few minutes, the ice, and even the chill in the water, was gone.

"There may be some hope for you yet." She beckoned me to come out of the water, and there was no resistance when I climbed out and stood beside her.

"My dress is in the pool." I crossed my arms over the thin fabric of my undergarments.

"Well, go on and get it out." I had one foot back in the water, when she put her hand on my arm. "No child, call it to you."

I knew I'd melted the ice with my own will, and I felt it should be simple enough to make the dress rise from the water and come to me. I'd seen those in the second tier levitate many common items to their hands. I reached out my hand, and concentrated. I thought about the dress, with it's lace detail and scalloped collar. I thought about the flounces on the sleeves, and I tried to muster the strength to pull it to me. I shook with the effort and beads of sweat broke out on my face.

Nothing happened.

"Oh for pity's sake!" She reached out and the dress came up from the bottom of the pool, and floated to her hand, as if it were on a string. She handed it to me. "Wring it out, and use the heat spell to dry it."

I did what she told me, and wrung the dress out. I then held it, and concentrated on creating a gentle heat, to dry the dress. With my eyes closed, I felt the warmth, then I screamed, as the dress burst into flames. I dropped the charred fragments at the water's edge, where the flames quickly died out.

I expected more chastisement, but she laughed instead.

"You do not yet know your own power. Once you gain control, there will be no limit to what you can do."

"That's all well and good, but I don't have the kind of time it will take to learn. It took me six months to learn the first tier, and I turn eighteen with the next full moon."

"I will teach you all you need to know. You will spend half your day with me, every day, from sun up to mid-day. That should be enough time for lessons. The rest of the time you will need to practice, and spend time with the dragon family. There is much you should learn from them—_know your enemy!"_

"They're not my enemies!"

"Well of course not, but they _are _dragons. You need to learn from them. Learn their strengths, and learn their weaknesses. You need to know all about them, for that is the only way you will save your world from them."

"What about the white leech?"

"He is insignificant. He is not your enemy—he's just a human. If he's lucky, his own dragon mount will eat him. Do not worry about him. I intend to turn you into a sorceress unlike any this world has ever seen."

"You could have fooled me... I thought you were going to turn me into an icicle." I turned to face her. "You wouldn't have really let me freeze to death, would you?"

She didn't look at me. She stared off into the distance, and wondered what memory her eyes were seeing. When she spoke, it felt as if she'd lost all emotion.

"I have been waiting here for over a thousand years. I have lost everyone and everything I knew. I have been little more than a prisoner of my own choosing, and I have waited for you. I have lain with a human I did not love, to conceive my daughter. I have insured that the essence of your heritage would pass down to you. I have maintained my vigilance, and protected each one of my descendants, and you are the culmination of everything I have worked to achieve."

She turned and placed her hand on my cheek. "I love you like my own child, Be'lah. Through magic I have watched you grow up, as I did your mother before you, and every other daughter, all the way back." She glanced at the pool.

"If you could not have saved yourself from my spell... I would have let you die." She turned and walked away. I followed her,

"Why? After all this, that makes no sense! Why go to so much trouble, only to end it here?" She turned to face me, and her expressive eyes narrowed.

"This is no children's tale, Be'lah! The fate of your whole world rests in your hands. Innocent people, who will never know what you've done or all that has been sacrificed, are at risk. You have the power to prevent what happened to my world, and it is my hope you will do exactly that.

"However, if you cannot realize your potential, you become a danger to us. A tool is only as good as the hand that wields it. If you are weak, then you become a tool in the hands of our enemies. Before I allow that to happen, I will kill you myself—it would be kinder."

"Why me? I mean if you've been here for a thousand years, why not train yourself to save the world? Wouldn't that be easier than training me to do it?"

"I cannot! I am forbidden to interfere—I am a _guardian_." She said the word as if it were the greatest curse ever known. "I would give my last breath, to be able to attack those who destroyed my world. Everything I have done, has been perilously close to breaking my oath. I cannot involve myself in the conflict directly. That is why I have you."

She turned again and walked away. "The doorway will open for you. I will see you back here tomorrow at day break. Do not keep me waiting."

I still had more questions than I had answers, but apparently I was dismissed. I watched her step around a tree, but she didn't come out the other side. I looked for her, but she was gone. I would definitely have to learn that one.

The door opened onto the hallway, and I stepped through. It was cold, and I was reminded I only had on my thin undergarments, and they were still wet. I turned, and before I'd even taken a step, I screamed.

"Ehd Wyrd! What are you doing sneaking up on me like this!" He responded with his dragon speech, and I understood him perfectly, as he offered a slight apology. "You scared me to death, I thought you were some kind of monster!"

"_I am a monster, Be'lah." _I cast a light ball so I could see his green eyes, watching me. "_I heard you scream earlier. I thought you might need me, but I cannot open the portal."_

_ "_I don't think even you could save me from her." I looked back over my shoulder, as I walked down the hall. "I've never seen anyone more beautiful or terrifying in my life."

_"I have never met her. I only know she exists because M has encountered her., Alyss has __spoken with her through the gateway once. I thought a hundred years was a long time—she has been here for a thousand."_

"I can't imagine... being alone for all that time. I mean, she's seen life go by, through some kind of magic, but she hasn't participated at all. She seems very cold and detached. All she knows is what she remembers from her life before the dragons... do you know the story?"

_"I know what M has told us. He remembers when dragons lived in their own realm. It was desolate, and the other creatures there were things of nightmares. It was a harsh place to live, and it made survival difficult. But he believes it also made them stronger. Only the wisest and strongest survived." _

"So what happened? Why would they go to war with the elves?"

_ "M speaks of the harsh conditions, and an unguarded gateway. The guardians cannot leave their post, unless another guardian takes over. The gateway calls another guardian if it senses the current guardian is sick, old, or dying. Conditions are so harsh in the dragon realm, something attacked the guardian, and killed it before a new one could be called." _

_ "At first only a few of the dragons slipped into the elve's realm. They stayed hidden, and were only a threat to the wildlife they found. But more went through over the years, and the uninhabited places became crowded. There were also no natural predators, and eggs and nestlings were safe. _

_ "A female dragon can lay many eggs, but in the dragon's own realm, few survived to hatch and become mature. In the elven realm, all the eggs would hatch, and the dragons would all survive, uncontested. Eventually they outgrew their new home, and began to attack the elves. _

_ "Then it was discovered that elves were delicious..."_

"Why didn't any of the dragons put a stop to it? Are they all evil? I mean surely there had to be a voice of reason – someone had to know that elves were not just food!" He was quiet for a long time, and I thought maybe he hadn't heard my question.

_"I don't know. M has shown us that dragons can and do have a conscience. He insists that there are good dragons, as well as those of pure evil. But he also tells us that hunger can override their good intentions. They are highly attuned to survival. I don't like to think about it. If the curse isn't broken, I could become just like them." _

"I'm sorry. I don't know if I believe that something can truly steal a man's will."

_"Not a man's will, but perhaps dragons have weaker wills. Speaking of wills, Be'lah, would you please extinguish your light."_

"Why?" I turned to face him, fearing that there was some danger I didn't know about. His eyes turned toward the ceiling, and he sighed loudly.

_ "Your clothes are too thin, and your light shines through them—it's very disconcerting. I'm trying not to look, but I'm only human." _I dispelled the light immediately. We stood in the blackness of the hallway, and I was too embarrassed to say anything.

I stood shivering in the cool air, and an eerie feeling overtook me. He was so quiet, it was as if he wasn't even there. I imagined I could hear my own heart beating in the stillness. I felt conscious of the weight of all the rock surrounding us. It was as if I'd been robbed of my senses, and I suddenly realized I had an awareness beyond my senses.

_ "_Ehd Wyrd..." I whispered. "... I can't see a thing. But would you follow me for a moment?" He answered that he would, and I closed my eyes and stepped forward. In the dark I could hear him behind me, surprisingly quiet considering his size. I still couldn't see, but I walked with confidence, sensing the cave around me. The pathway curved to my right, and I followed, without even touching the wall. We came to an intersection, and I chose the correct hallway, without even a glimmer of vision.

_"That's the wrong way, Be'lah. Our caverns are the other way." _His warning was a whisper, and he was still behind me.

"I know. I need to go this way... it's calling me." We walked for ten minutes, and I felt every turn and angle in the passageway. When I finally opened my eyes, I saw a glow in the room we entered. It took my eyes a moment to adjust to the light, and what I saw took my breath away.

The room was gigantic, making the large dragon cave seem small in comparison. The left and right wall were covered with symbols and runes, at least a dozen on each side. I stepped into the room, and approached what had to be the gateway to the dragon/elven realm.

_"Be'lah, stop. Do not go any closer, it's not safe."_ I felt him behind me, but I didn't turn to look. I moved into the room, and felt the power of the place. It almost felt as if it recognized me, and I wanted a closer look at the runes.

Darkness peeled itself away from the wall, and closed in on me. I squealed before I realized it was M, standing between me and the runes of the gateway. I felt its hot breath in my face when it roared at me.

_"Turn around elf, you are not permitted to be here!"_ I stepped back, startled, and bumped into Ehd Wyrd. "_You—take her away from here immediately, lest I forget my promise and eat her!" _The reptilian cowl around his black face fanned out as he hissed. I knew instinctively this was no mere threat.

As startled as I was, I had an unreasonable impulse to attack him. I felt a gnawing power within me, and I even raised my hand, and said a word I didn't recognize. Then I was seized from behind, and locked within a cage of taloned fingers. He moved fast, and even though I protested, he didn't slow down until we reached the large dragon cavern. He then set me down and I turned on him

_ "_How dare you...!"

_ "Never go there! Never!" _His draconic voice reverberated off the walls.

_ "_You can't tell me what to do! You're not my king, and you're not even my prince. You don't have any authority over me, Ehd Wyrd! And you don't have the right to just snatch me up any time you feel like it, either!"

_ "If I hadn't, he would be picking his teeth with your bones, right now! He's a good dragon, but he's still a _dragon. _He has no stake in our prophesy. It doesn't affect him one way or another if we remain dragons forever."_

_ "_He has no reason to attack me. I'm not his enemy, and I didn't lay a finger on him."

_ "He guards the gateway, Be'lah. You are an elf, which makes you his enemy. The gateway will respond to you. It could open for you, if there's enough elven blood within you, and I think there is. What do you think will come through if the gate opens? It's still held by elves, but they are surrounded by dragons on all sides, and those dragons fly too." _

"The gate would open for me? That's impossible!" I imagined opening a portal onto another world, and having a giant flying monster come through—one that eats elves.

_ "Nothing is impossible where you are concerned. Never underestimate your value, or overestimate your safety. M has made a promise not to attack you, but he is a dragon. He does not care about your destiny, your life, or your beauty. Threaten the gateway, and he _will _eat you!" _

"Why do you care, Ehd Wyrd?" There was plenty of light, and I could see him as he turned away. "Is it only the prophesy?" He continued, leaving me there looking at his departing tail. I followed along, and the gold and silver dragons watched me as I passed. I thought I heard the silver snicker, but I didn't look.

I didn't need to see, to know where he was going. I caught up with him at the doorway to his glossy black room. He took the center of the room, and curled up like a cat, with his nose on his tail.

_ "Go away Be'lah. Go back with Mother and Rose and Alyss, where you belong. Just leave me alone."_

"What's wrong? Was it something I sai... oh. I"m sorry for what I said; I was angry and I didn't mean to be so rude."

_ "Please Be'lah, you shouldn't be here. Go back, change your clothes, get something to eat, and rest."_

"Not until you talk to me. What's wrong? Are you angry with me?"

_ "I'm not angry with _you_. I'm angry with _this!" He swished his tail in agitation. "_I'm a dragon! I'm a dragon who still remembers what it was like to be a man." _His green eyes regarded me, so big and wide I imagined I could see my reflection mirrored there. _"I am this beast, and I want nothing more than to be a man again. I know you are the key to the prophesy, and I hate it! If I must be a dragon, then I should reasonably be able to protect you, but I cannot protect you from this. If I protect you, it means the prophesy is not fulfilled, and if I do not protect you, you could be killed. Neither outcome is acceptable to me!" _I stood there, and just looked at him.

"_Be'lah, why are you only wearing your undergarments? Is this how you've decided to torment me for licking you?" _I looked down, and for the first time I really saw what he must be seeing. The clothes were finely made, but they were so thin as to be nearly transparent while they were wet. My arms crossed over my chest, and I heard his soft laughter again.

"I'll be back, after I've changed and eaten." I felt the heat in my cheeks and knew I was blushing. I hurried away, and went back to the human rooms. For an hour I answered questions, between changing clothes and eating a bowl of stew and warm flat bread. Alyss wanted to know about the elf, Rose wanted to know about the gateway and M's warning, and May wanted to make sure I wasn't hungry, tired, hurt or cold.

I told them I was going to go flying with Ehd Wyrd, and hurried away, in still another borrowed dress. I missed my initiate's robes, and wondered if there was a way I could replace them. I walked to his room in the dark, letting my innate senses lead me. I wondered if it was a magical gift, a part of the prophesy, or an effect of being part elf. It was one of the questions I'd have to ask R'ness when I had the chance.

I crept up on the dragon in his chamber. My slippers were quiet on the polished stone, and I held my breath, hoping to surprise him. I imagined casting my sparkling light on the end of his tail, as a way to get back at him for what he'd done with his tongue.

"_Hello Be'lah." _

"How did you know I was here; it's dark and I was quiet?"

"_I can hear your heart beating, and I can still smell you. Why did you come back?" _

"I like your company. I told them we were going flying." His head perked up.

_"Well, I guess we should go. I wouldn't wan to make you a liar." _I smiled at his suggestion. I was eager to fly with him, but I was also glad to see him perk up. We hurried to the ledge, and the water sent its spray up over us.

"I want to swim out myself." I looked at the frothing waves and felt nervous. I'd swam in the ocean before, and I'd always felt at home in the water. But I wondered if I was up to this challenge. "You can drag me out if I don't make it, okay?"

_"Are you sure? You could crash against the rocks and be injured." _

_ "_I'm sure. I want to try it, just watch me." I tucked the skirts of the dress into the tie around my waist, so they wouldn't get in my way. I timed the waves, as they washed in and out of the cave. As soon as the water rushed in, I jumped.

I was at first overwhelmed with the churning waves, but then I felt the pull of the water, and dove down deep. I swam, chasing the retreating water. I saw a slight lightening of the water ahead, and fought the need for air. I resisted the pull of the water, rushing back into the cave, and gave it all I had as I headed for the surface. I broke the water, and a wave smashed me in the face. The surface water roiled and I couldn't see a way out of the water.

Ehd Wyrd came up beneath me, and I settled on his back as he leaped from the water, and rose toward the setting sun. Even wet and tired from my swim, I was still overjoyed as the water and land disappeared beneath us. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and kissed his scales, then laughed at the freedom and wonder of it all.

We flew for an hour, then he winged his way to our clearing with the waterfall. It felt strange to know my ancestor had created it. When he landed, I almost expected him to take off to hunt, as he had before, but he didn't. Instead he relaxed down onto his stomach, and his tail curled around him.

_"You may lie against me, if you need to rest. This place has a protective ward around it, and I __will watch over you if you want to try to sleep." _I wanted to deny any need for rest. I knew what was waiting for me if I closed my eyes. But the mere mention of sleep made me yawn. Protected by the circle of his tail, I laid my head on the pad of his mitt. It was surprisingly comfortable, and the air was warm and perfumed. With the sounds of the waterfall behind us, I drifted to sleep with his green eyes watching me.

The dragon shrieks behind me. I run, feeling the soft grass beneath my feet. The leech reaches out a hand and pulls the life from the grass and trees around me, and the dry stalks snag at the dress as I flee. I hear the noise of the ocean in the distance...

_ "Be'lah, wake up!" _I struggled from my nightmare, to face an enormous green eye staring at me. _"You were dreaming." _

"How could you tell?"

"_You toss and turn, and your heart races." _

"Thank you. How long was I asleep?" I looked at the dark sky, but the moon was hidden.

_ "Only for an hour. Go back to sleep, and I'll wake you when we need to go." _I felt exhaustion trying to claim me, and I climbed into his hand and wrapped my arm around his thumb, where I pillowed my head. Again I closed my eyes, feeling safe and secure.

**A/N: Thanks Dan, I fixed it.**


	8. Chapter 8 Training

Chapter 8

Training

He woke me when the predawn light crept into the clearing. I was surprised I'd slept so long, and even more surprised that my nightmare hadn't returned.

"Your hand makes a pretty good bed, thanks." He didn't answer, but gazed at me for a few moments, before I climbed up between his shoulders. "I wish we didn't have to rush off, but I promised I'd be back early, so she could teach me magic."

I wasn't sure, and I hoped I'd heard him wrong, but it sounded as if he said he didn't trust her. But whether or not he trusted her, I had little choice but to present myself for training. Back in the caves, I hurried to change and braid my hair. I gathered up my pouches, with all the little spell ingredients I'd collected, and hurried to the main chamber.

I didn't need M to show me the way, but I hadn't realized how far it was, and I was breathless when I stopped at the glowing doorway. It was disconcerting to step into such a completely different world from the cold, dark caverns. The sun shone overhead, birds sang, butterflies flitted, and I even caught sight of a bunny in the grass.

"I'm glad to see you could make it, child." She stepped from behind a tree and smiled. I stared, once again wondering how I could be related to such a beautiful and graceful creature. How could anyone think I looked even a little bit like her? "Come, we have much to do. Why are you breathless?" I told her how I'd run the distance, to make sure I wasn't late. She stood in thought for a moment.

"Tomorrow, I want you to run the distance, _four times_." At my puzzled look she explained. "Human magic is accomplished through carefully worded spells, movements, and components. There are also leeches who steal their power from living things. But elven magic, the kind I will teach you, comes from within. So you can see, if a sorcerer depends on spells, movements, components, and even draining, he doesn't ask much of his own body. These types of magic can cause the user to become weak and frail. Indeed, the very wizard you fear has withered away to little more than a skeleton.

"You will need to be strong to use the magic within you." She shook her head in dismay. "I hadn't considered you would need to train in this way as well. I will ponder this. Come." She lead me deeper into the meadow, and away from the waterfall.

"Today you will relearn every spell you know." She instructed me to get rid of all my spell components. I tossed aside all the pouches, and one spilled open at her feet. It was the pouch of all the polished stones I'd gathered from beneath the waterfall the first night I'd flown with Ehd Wyrd.

She picked up the stones, and caressed them in her hands. She smiled and asked, "May I borrow these?" I nodded, and she tossed them up. Before they hit the ground, they began to dance before her eyes, floating in mid-air. As I watched, they formed connections, one after another, until they were in a line of fourteen. When they fell into her hand, they were no longer a handful of stones, but a necklace on a fine silver wire.

"Look Be'lah, I've made you a necklace, to remind you of the fourteen laws of magic." She held the strand of polished stones up with a smile.

"There are only six laws of magic." She laughed at my statement, and beckoned me closer.

"There are fourteen. One is life and birth, Two is death..."

"No. That's one of the _un_holy laws!"

"That is ridiculous! Magic does not choose sides, except for the two unnamed disciplines." She fingered the black and the white stones on opposite ends of the necklace. "Some magic is favored by those of evil intent, but the magic is not evil or unholy." She indicated the third stone. "Three is memory, and four is oblivion."

"How can death be good?" She wasn't making any sense, and I wondered if Ehd Wyrd's mistrust was well earned.

She sighed. "Death is merely a part of life, child. Endless life, with no hope of resting in the Great Afterworld, would be a curse indeed. Imagine an injured animal, with no hope of healing and no hope of even death to end its suffering. One cannot have life without death."

"What about oblivion? I've only seen it as drunkenness and I know evil wizards steal memories to create slaves and minion."

"Oblivion can be used that way. But think about an easing of one's sorrows. If something terrible happened to you, and you could never forget... I truly wish I could escape into oblivion, dear one. I have remembered for so long... I can never forget. I must never forget, lest I lose my focus." She sighed. "Still there are times when I would love to be able to escape into dreams or blissful ignorance." She shook herself and continued.

"The fifth law is Communication..."

"No. It's incantation!" She was mixing it all up! I'd worked so hard to learn, and she was getting it wrong.

"So we're back to that again?" She looked exasperated. "The fifth law is communication – incantation is but a sliver of knowledge. Humans put too much emphasis on the spoken words of magic. Tell me child, what am I feeling?" She stood before me, arms crossed, brows narrowed and lowered over her eyes, and a scowl on her face.

"You're irritated... angry..."

"Actually, I was a moment ago, but now I'm not. But I wanted to show you, that we can communicate many different things in many different ways, and we don't always have to use words. If I am truly angry, my ears turn pink. Communication is how the riders of the plains control their mounts, without ever making a sound. True magic isn't about words, it's about communication. You will learn to cast spells without words. Yesterday, you cast the spell with words, but you directed it with no words. You could have accomplished the same thing with a simple nod of your head, or even your direct gaze.

"The sixth law is Fear and Pan." I'd heard this one correctly. But to me it had to be completely evil magic.

"What about fear and pain? How can those ever be used for good?"

"Fear and pain are excellent teachers. How do you know not to touch the fire? How do you know not to play with wild animals? Indeed they are harsh taskmasters, but they are quite efficient." I was beginning to see a pattern in her logic.

"The seventh law is Identity. You call this one Naming. It used to be said, that knowing someone's true name would give you power over them. But this has been proven false, repeatedly. But knowing someone's identity – who they really are – regardless of what they are called, can give you power over them. By the same token, keeping your true identity hidden can give you an advantage. The princess Rose used this simple law when she visited the village to learn of her people. If someone had known her identity, they would have had power over her."

"The eighth law is destruction, and before you even ask, I'll tell you how it can be used for good. The sand on the beach comes from the destruction of the rocks and shells. The logs the animals live in, come from the destruction of the trees. And of course the heat from a fire comes from the destruction of the wood. Everything new is built on what's destroyed. It's part of the cycle of renewal. In some ways it's related to the ninth law."

"What's the ninth law?" I'd heard it was youth, but according to R'ness I was wrong on almost all the laws.

"Seasons." At my blank look, she sighed deeply. "Seasons of life. There is magic in childhood. A tiny baby can make everyone around come to him and smile. There's magic in the season of youth, when everything is new and bodies are strong and growing. But there's magic in becoming adult as well. Leaving home, finding your own way, and making friends and finding a love of your own. There's magic in the middle of life. Establishing rituals, family, becoming experienced, learning lessons. And there's magic in the very old. We are the teachers, we are the tired and feeble, but we are also the wise and knowledgeable. There is magic in greeting the end of seasons with dignity and acceptance."

Some of what she said was starting to make sense. But I was still having difficulty with her view of the unholy laws. I wondered how she would make the law of slavery fit in her reasoning.

"The tenth law is Binding."

"What? It's slavery! Evil white wizards enslave people, everyone knows that!"

"Hush child! How much damage have they done to you? Must I teach you from the ground up? I cannot believe you have survived this long with such gaps in your study! We don't have time for me to completely reeducate you!" Her voice never raised, but her ears were pink and she was clearly angry. I recalled her assertion that she would kill me if I could not learn.

"Binding – tell me about it." She stared at me, her brown eyes so much like my own, and yet they held a hardness and an eternal depth to them that was frightening. I watched her relax, like a pot coming down from a full boil.

"This..." She indicated both of us as we stood face to face. "...this is binding. It is one being dependent on another. It must go back and forth – give and take. You depend on me to teach you, and I... I depend on you to fulfill the prophesy. White wizards use it for evil, but there still must be some give and take. If one is enslaved, then the other must protect them.

"The closer to equal, the stronger the binding. Husbands and wives share binding. Parents and children, master and servant, teacher and student; these are all examples of binding. One cannot walk away, lest the other feel it." She reached out and took my hand. "We are kin. We are Adept and Apprentice. I am your history, and you are my hope. We are bound together." She covered my hand with her other, and smiled before releasing me.

"The eleventh law is..."

"Nature. That one hasn't changed has it?" She patiently overlooked my interruption.

"Correct. But the laws have not changed. They remain constant, and it's the way we look at them that changes. The twelfth law is Consumption. I've explained all the others, can you now see well enough to explain how this one can be used for good?" She looked at me with calm eyes, but I knew instinctively this was no casual question. This was a test. Not only was this a test, it was one where I'd studied and learned the wrong lesson.

"Consumption... I used to call this one Leeching. Leeches... they steal their power from living things... and the living things die. They... consume...they take... they... " It hit me then, the simple answer to her question. If evil white wizards used something good for evil, they could turn eating into something horrible! She must have seen the realization on my face, and she smiled.

"Everyone eats. Eating takes a little for our sustained life, but leeching takes it all to sustain power! One is natural and the other is unnatural."

"You have finally grasped an understanding of the laws." She held the necklace out, and I fingered the smooth stones, with their uneven shapes. I turned, and she fastened it around my neck.

"What of the unspoken laws?" I fingered the small dark and light stones on either end of the necklace. Why would I want to remember the one evil law?

"We remind ourselves of the evil law, because it keeps the good in balance. We should also never forget the resources of our enemies. These two are unspoken, because they cannot be taught. They come from who we are, not what we know. When someone reaches a point of overwhelming good or absolute evil, these final laws can give them power, but it comes at a cost. That is all I have been told, and I'm telling you."

"Are these all the laws? Fourteen?" Something felt amiss in this thought.

She laughed. "It's good that you question. No. There are more than fourteen, but this is the basis of common magic. There are other disciplines that the Fae use. Their magic is so strong, they can make you see things and believe things that are not real. There are otherworldly creatures that use a strange magic that would take years to teach you. Indeed in your own world, the mountain folk have several disciplines for manipulating earth and rock alone. Magic is limited only by the vessel." She tapped my chest.

"Thank you. I'll do my best to memorize these laws..."

"No! Do not memorize them, _learn _them. It is not about being able to recite them from your memory, it's about knowing them like you know how to walk and talk." She looked around the meadow, then pointed at a small boulder. "Do you think you could lift that rock?" I looked at it, and it was about the size of two big wheels of cheese.

"Yes, I could lift it."

"Would you use one hand?"

"No..." I didn't know where she was leading.

"Would you use two hands?"

"Of course... why..."

"Show me how it would look – without touching the rock." I did as she asked, I squatted down, and pretended to wrap my arms around the rock.

"Good. How do you know to bend your knees and reach around it, if you've never lifted that rock?"

"It's a rock – it's heavy."

"Are you sure _that _rock is heavy?"

I looked around suspiciously. I was remembering that we were in a magical meadow and things may not be as they appear. "I _think _so..."

She laughed at my skepticism. "It is just a rock. The reason you know how to lift it without ever touching it, is because you've moved other rocks before. Magic is just like that." She faced the stone, and with a motion of her hand, it rose up from the ground. Just watching it hovering in the air awed me.

"Don't look so surprised, before you leave here today, you will do the same. If you can lift the stone with your body, you can lift it with your will. The magic is inside you, all it needs is direction." The rock thumped back to the ground. No teacher had ever told me such a thing. I stared at the rock and felt a sense of wonder, and fear. I had no doubt that she could do great magic, but she was an elf, and hundreds of years old. What would she do to me when she discovered I wasn't up to her teaching.

A dull pain at my head tore my attention away from the rock. She'd given a quick yank on my braid, forcing me to face her.

"You don't believe in yourself. That more than anything, will get you killed. If you die, know that you will not die alone. The Kellan family will die too. Everyone on this island, and many on the mainland – all will die. Be'lah, you must believe in yourself! You are the shield that intercedes for them. Look at me." Her words were a command, and I stared up at her. Again her eyes blazed into mine. The intensity of her gaze made me shake, but I didn't turn away or even blink.

"Everything I am is in you. There is magic in your creation you cannot comprehend. You know your mother and father were ill suited to one another, but she did not choose him, _I did. _Like a fine stallion, your bloodlines are of the best and purest in this world. I know what is in your lineage, and I know what is in your bones, because I put it there!

"In you flows the blood of kings. You represent this world. Every people in this world has touched your lineage: The riders of the plains, the mountain dwellers, the eastern philosophers, the tribal hoards of the south, the winter-men of the north, and many many more, of which you have never heard. They gave their strength to you.

"Elves in my world spent centuries in craftsmanship. They grew trees to encompass homes, they grew flowers to give off the most lovely perfume. They raised birds for the mere purpose of having the shade of blue in their lover's eyes, and they could spend a lifetime on a single piece of art, until it was perfection. You are my work of art. You are my masterpiece. Do not look on me in awe, I am a shadow compared to what you are!"

I tore my eyes from hers. I heard the words, and I knew they were true, but too much inside me rebelled at the thought that I could be so much more than all I'd ever believed. I stepped over to the boulder and sat down. I remembered all the things that almost ended me: The fall from the highest tree when I was seven, the thread of exorcising the evil spirit within me, the many falls I'd taken over the years, the illnesses I'd suffered, and most recently, I remembered hanging in chains while the leeches tortured me.

I felt again the helplessness as they laughed at my pain. Every bone they broke spoke to my mortality. I may have the blood of kings in me, but much of that blood spilled that day. If I was her masterpiece, I was more a delicate flower than a sculpture. How could I live up to her expectations?

"Get up." Her words were soft, but I heard the menace in them. "Why must you force me to show you these things, before you will believe? Today's lesson will be one you already know. Memory. You will learn, Be'lah, or you will die." With a small movement of her hands, she rose into the air, more effortlessly than she'd lifted the rock I now stood beside. From the air, she pointed at the rock, a charge left her finger and the rock exploded. Pieces hit my legs, and I felt blood, before I started to run.

She's crazy! My mind was in a panic as I raced through the tall grass. It reminded me of my nightmares, and I gathered up my skirts so I could run faster. I wove between the trees, and one exploded beside me, showering burning branches and leaves around me. I kept to the cover of the trees, as she destroyed one after another.

The ground sloped upward as I ran, and I tried to think of some kind of magic that could save me. I knew I could cast a spell without what I'd always thought were required elements, but I couldn't think of what would work against her attacks.

Another tree burst into flames beside me, and my skirt caught fire. My skin burned as I tore out of the fabric in a panic. I ran deeper into the trees, doubling back in hopes of losing her. I almost ran right into it, it was so massive; a gigantic tree loomed in front of me.

The branches offered enough cover, with the lowest one at shoulder height. I yanked off my slippers and started to climb. Memory... memory... memory... what does she want me to learn! I heard the crashes in the distance and knew she was going the other way. Maybe from the top of the tree, I'd be able to see where she was.

The view it afforded me was breathtaking. The place was much larger than I'd imagined, and I could see a distance that would take hours to travel. I went as high as I could go, feeling the treetop sway with my weight. The wind blew on my bare legs, easing the pain of the cuts and burns.

Then she saw me.

I could tell in the way she turned in mid-air and came right for me. I wanted to beg her for my life, but I knew it was no use. She thought she was being kind. I looked down, knowing I could never climb down fast enough. She'd probably explode the tree before I got halfway.

Memory. I remembered this kind of fear. I was surprised to discover it wasn't a fear of dying I was feeling; it was a fear of falling. I'd fallen out of countless trees in my young life. I'd broken bones and suffered cuts and bruises aplenty, and yet it still wasn't enough to keep me out of the treetops. I loved the height, and even in the fall, I'd loved the freedom of the wind rushing around me, feeling for just a moment that it would hold me up.

That's it! She came closer, and I rocked the treetop back and forth, hoping to at least create a moving target. One... two... three! As the treetop swayed toward her, I pushed off with my legs and let go, launching myself at her with all I had. The lessons clicked in place with the rush of the wind. If the laws I'd learned could be used for good or bad, and good and bad were opposite one another...

...then the opposite of falling... was flying!

I saw the surprise on her face as our eyes met. I soared across the distance, buoyed by the wind. I smiled in triumph, just before we collided. Arms and legs tangled, and in the span of heartbeats, we were both doing what I knew better than anything – falling.

I struggled to be free, and she struggled to hold me, and neither of us could concentrate on not crashing to the ground.

"Come!" Her command didn't make any sense, until the ground was so close I thought for sure I'd seen my last day. It was true magic the way the ground was suddenly covered with grasses, vines and other foliage, that created a deep, green, cushion that broke our fall. Vines, leaves, and grasses crushed and broke, but what should have killed me, only knocked the air out of me. I laid there beside her for a long time, both of us struggling to breathe.

I knew she'd recovered when I heard her laughing. I rolled from the tangled greenery and stood. I ached all over, and I couldn't figure out what was so funny. Her laughter slowed and stopped, then she rolled over and looked at me, and started up again. Her laughter was musical, but it sounded a little crazy as well. Lying there, laughing and looking completely undignified, she looked young. I mean not just a few hundred years younger, but _young_, like a girl.

She stopped for a moment, then another snicker snorted from her nose, and she was off again. She pointed at me, and I finally looked at myself. Then I giggled. In seconds I was laughing too. I looked ridiculous. I wore the blue shirt I'd put on, but my skirt had burned, and the one undergarment was all that was left me. My legs were singed and cut up, but they were also covered in green leaves, vines and grasses. I also had a large purple flower that appeared to be sprouting just above my legs, where it was caught in the small undergarment.

By the time we could stop laughing, I had pulled off the leaves and flowers and she was on her feet. With the touch of gentle hands, she healed my cuts, scrapes and burns. She then turned, and I saw a long, deep cut on her back, seeping blood into her own dress. I was able to follow her example, and in minutes the cut was closed and healthy pink skin covered it.

"You have completely surprised me, child. I thought to teach you one thing, and you exceeded my expectations and learned something else entirely."

"What? What was I supposed to learn? You said memory... I don't know what I could have done..." She laughed again.

"I knew you'd never learned flight. I thought something simpler would come to you, especially since you carried this." She held out a bit of tortoise shell. "Remember, I called you the shield of the world?"

"I could have hidden inside a shell... like a turtle?"

"Of course. It's a basic protective magic. If you cannot fight an enemy, and you cannot run from him, you can hide and defend yourself." She laughed and shook her head. "Instead you did run, and you did hide. But then you turned your weakness into strength, and attacked!"

"I wasn't attacking... I flew... but I couldn't stop." She laughed and hugged me for a moment.

"My dear, I am so proud of you. But you terrify me. The world could have lost you, and it would have been my fault. I cannot understand how you think."

"Stop trying to kill me!"

"The lessons are necessary. You must learn."

"I can't learn if I'm afraid all the time!"

"But you _have_. You have learned more in two days than you did your whole time with the K'will Utte – they are also in your lineage.

"I don't care! If you keep attacking me, sooner or later one of us will fail, and then where will we be? I need you to teach me, and you need me to learn. It's the tenth law of binding, and we can't do this alone." I touched her tender side. "There isn't some special magic that counteracts death, is there?" She stared at me a moment.

"No."

"Then stop trying to kill me. Teach me; I'll learn."

"And if you do not?" She looked unconvinced.

"Try harder."

"I will teach you. But do not expect me to have infinite patience. We don't have much time, and I would still end you before I allow our enemies to use you against us. I won't try to kill you to teach you, but I won't promise it will be pain free."

"Is that the best you can do?" She nodded in answer to my question. Then what's next?" She didn't answer, but turned and looked off in the distance.

"You have a visitor." She started walking and I followed after her. We made it to the gateway and looked through to the hallway outside. Alyss stood there, obviously unable to see us.

"Can she come in?"

"She is fae. She can come in if I allow it." I stared at her until she realized I was asking if she allowed it. "Very well. Just remember, we do not have much time."

The doorway opened up and Alyss stared, then I waved her through. She stepped into the meadow, but it still took her a few moments to take her eyes off me. Then she stared at R'ness, and finally she looked around her.

"Holy mother of the world...!" She reached down and plucked a flower from a stalk, and gazed at it. "I'd heard, but I never believed it could be real. Be'lah, do you know what this place is?"

"I thought it was a... magical recreation of... another realm." R'ness walked ahead of us, easily gaining distance with her longer legs.

"My mother had the power to do this... before Jheyms drained her and left her to die. This isn't just a recreation of another place within the caves. Be'lah, it's another place altogether – we're not in the caves anymore – not really. The way I understand it, the gateway anchors it to the world, but it's really someplace else. It's like a pocket of... time, that's been pinned to ours."

"Then how did Ehd Wyrd hear me? He said he heard me yesterday, when I was here." She was confusing me.

"I have no doubt that dragon could hear you. He could probably hear you if you were on the mainland. He could probably hear you if you were on the moon!"

"That doesn't make any sense, Alyss. No one has ears that good."

"He's attuned to you. He _likes _you, silly."

"What? What do you mean, he _likes _me?" She wasn't making sense. I knew dragons found me tasty, but Ehd Wyrd wasn't a normal dragon.

"Here, I brought you some clothes." She shoved a bundle at me, forcing me to take them. "I knew you would ruin your clothes, and I didn't want you to have to walk around indecent.

"You just changed the subject. What do you mean Ehd Wyrd likes me?" I struggled into the skirt, as she danced and twirled in the grasses of the meadow. "Alyss, come back here and answer me!"

"Are you really that naïve on the ways of men?"

"But Ehd Wyrd's a dragon..."

"He's a man – at least for another month. Don't let your eyes fool you, my friend."

"He likes me? Not like a snack, but like..."

"...a woman," she giggled. "You really didn't know? J'Spurr told me. It seems you are all his little brother can talk about. I'm not supposed to tell you, but... time is not your friend. I thought you should know."

"He likes me." I pondered the idea. "How much? I mean is it like a friend, or like a little sister, or like someone he has to watch out for, or..."

"Be'lah! I can't tell you what I don't know. All I can say, is that J'Spurr told me..." She smiled so wide and irrepressibly, and hugged herself. "... Prince J'Spurr is in love with me, Be'lah! Oh I am so looking forward to the end of this curse so I can put my arms around him! I've been spending so much time with him, and... I just couldn't hide the way I feel about him. He's sensitive to how I feel – isn't that amazing? I mean I was falling in love with him and he felt the same way, but he knew and I didn't, and..."

"What about Ehd Wyrd?" I took hold of her shoulders and gave a gentle shake. She did have a way of flitting from one subject to another. "What did J'Spurr tell you? He's his brother, he has to know something."  
"Oh, that... " Her wide eyes looked up at me. "J'Spurr only said, that his brother told him, you were the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. And as soon as the curse is broken, he will court you, until you agree to be his forever." Her words stole my breath away, even more than the earlier fall from the sky.

"He really said that?"

"J'Spurr doesn't lie!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."

"I've brought you some lunch too. You're not going to be finished on time today." She'd changed the subject again. We sat down in the grass, and she divided her small picnic between us. I wasn't very hungry.

"Alyss, what's wrong with you? You're as flighty as a little bird." She looked momentarily confused.

"I think it's this place. I can feel the magic here... it feels like my bones are vibrating with it. Do you feel it?" I held still, and concentrated.

"No. I mean I can tell it's not real, but I don't feel it."

"That's where you're wrong. It _is _real. It's the most real place I've ever felt."

"I thought it was a magical construct."

"_Yesss! _It is magical – it's wonderful! I want to take it home in my pocket." She tore off a chunk of bread with her teeth, and spoke as she chewed. "I want to eat it for lunch."

"You're scaring me, Alyss. You remind me of the men who drink too much wine." she abandoned her bread and leaped up.

"I feel it! I feel drunk – drunk on magic! I want to stay here forever... I want to swim in the magic until I sink to the bottom and we become one!"

"Alyss, I think you need to leave..."

* * *

**A/N: Apologies if you received a notice, and found no chapter. I realized I needed to change the chapter, and took it down and then put it back up. **


	9. Chapter 9 Transformations

Chapter 9

Transformations

"No! Please don't make me leave... I love it here!"

"I thought you loved J'Spurr?" She had gone from excited to completely untethered. She was twitching and moving erratically, and her eyes had taken on a wild, crazy lack of focus.

"I do love J'Spurr! He can live here with me too – he'll love it here, I know he will."

"What about his kingdom?" I was trying to help her see reason, but her reason had fled.

"This will be his kingdom. Yes – here with me. Be'lah, it will be wonderful, wonderful!" I looked around for R'ness, but she was nowhere to be seen. I was afraid to call to her, since I wasn't sure how she would handle my friend.

"Walk with me Alyss, and let's look at your kingdom." I headed back toward the doorway.

"No, I want to see the rest... I feel the magic stronger over there." I held her arm, and it was only because she was so much smaller than me, that she wasn't able to pull me toward the waterfall, where she clearly wanted to go.

"Alyss, shouldn't your prince see his realm with you?" She stopped and faced me with eyes like twin brown islands, completely surrounded by seas of white. "Won't Prince J'Spurr love walking with you in his garden?" I lead her, mesmerized toward the doorway. "Maybe the magic will break the curse, and he will be a man instead of a dragon..."

"Yes..." She breathed the word, as her mad eyes gazed at me.

"You need to go to him, now. You shouldn't make him suffer one more minute as a scaly beast." I saw the doorway, and lead her to the portal. "I'm sure he'll be excited to share in your plans. Then you can bring him back here, and you can get married, right over by the waterfall." It opened as I got closer, and she clutched at me.

"Come with me, Be'lah. We'll need you to open the door again." I'd hoped to send her through without me, but she remembered how it opened. I held her hand and we both stepped into the hallway. As soon as the door shut, she panicked.

"I want to go back in... I need to go back in!" She clutched at my arm, and her nails dug in painfully.

"We need to get Prince J'Spurr, don't you love him?" I tried to lead her down the hall, but she wouldn't move.

"I _need _to go back in! _Now!"_ Her nails drew blood. _Great, now I'm dragon bait. _

"No." I twisted away from her, and she snarled and lunged for me. I knew the doorway wouldn't open for anyone but me. I reached for the memory of falling, and fell _up._ The ceiling of the passageway was higher than I thought, and I hovered over her, as she tried to leap up to reach me.

"Come down here and open the door! _ Please! _I need to go back!" It was black in the hallway, and I cast a glow ball. I wished I hadn't, as I could see her wild eyes were panic stricken and full of tears.

I had to get her away from the door. I remembered the feel of wind, gentle on my face, and soon I was moving down the hallway.

"Be'lah stop!" Her cry made me waver in the air, but I didn't stop. I saw she followed me, even though she stopped every few steps to wail for me to stop and take her back home. Home – the meadow.

When we came out in the main cavern, J'Spurr was there waiting. _"You're bleeding, elf." _His eyes left me as soon as Alyss threw herself against him, weeping bitterly. I watched as he scooped her up and held her against his cheek, inches from his blue eye.

"_I have her now. You can go." _She looked like a doll, pressed against his face, and he turned away, holding her gently.

I flew back. I didn't realize until I was again before the door, that I could have landed and walked. Usually magic exhausted me, but I wasn't tired. It was a third tier spell, and I wasn't exhausted! I floated back through the doorway. R'ness was waiting for me. I landed gently before her.

"Well done, my child."

"Did you know that would happen?" I didn't mean to accuse her, but she had many unconventional ways of teaching me.

"No. I thought her human side would blunt the effects. If she had been fully Fae, you wouldn't have been able to get her to leave, not without attacking her."

"Why?"

"Fairies are magical – more so than even elves. Your world has very little free magic, and this place is created in a... fold of magic and time. She cannot come back here, you know." I recalled her wild eyes, and nodded.

"I know. What would happen?"

"Just like Jheyms drained her mother, she could drain this place. She would change if that happened. She would become fully Fae, and Alyss would disappear."

"Will she get over this? I mean will she return to normal?" I felt sick to my stomach.

"She should. We call it magic poisoning. A little magic is powerful, a little more can poison you, and a lot can change you. Jheyms was changed by too much magic. Alyss was poisoned, but it should wear off."

"Why don't I feel this? I thought I had magic within me."

"You do. But I created this place. It resonates differently for us. You feel it more in the water, don't you?"

"How did you know?" I felt completely relaxed and at home in the water – at least when she wasn't trying to kill me. She laughed at my question.

"I'm sorry Be'lah, I forgot to tell you. We are not just elves, we are _water elves._" I'm sure she saw the confusion on my face. "The water elves are the ones who survived the war with dragons. This island is like our island in our world – they coexist in different realms. In my world I lived on the island. It's why I was chosen to be the guardian. Only water elves can guard this gateway.

"On my world, the only elves to survive live on the island, and they guard the gateway on that side. They have been holding it for a thousand years against the dragons."

"Then how will the dragons come through, if they hold the other side?"

"It's never been a question of how, but why. No dragon has ever come through to this side, and returned. To the dragons, there is enough fear of the unknown to keep them from making the attempt. Every now and then, a group will swarm the island, and one or two will make it through. Eh'met makes sure they do not make it back. If one makes it back to tell the tale, all the dragons would overcome the island in their eagerness to pass through the gate."

"Why is M on our side?"

"I will answer your question, but only after we practice." I put aside my questions, and my worries about Alyss. In minutes I was too involved to even think about them.

I practiced until well past my agreed time of midday, Even then I didn't want to stop. I felt a renewed affinity with magic, and rediscovered the love I'd had to give up for so long. When she finally made me quit, I had learned first through third tier. Second tier was difficult for me, but fortunately she didn't make me practice as much as she had when I relearned the first and third tiers.

"Don't expect me to be as lenient tomorrow, when you learn Oblivion. Think about how useful it could be to make your enemies fall asleep. Think about your friend Alyss, and how you could make her forget this place."

"Will she try to get back in here?" I was again worried about her.

"She can't get in without you. But you must be careful until she is fully recovered. She's a magical being, and she has absorbed enough magic to enhance her innate abilities. She may have other gifts manifest within her. We are lucky she did not become fully fairy. I have seen fairies when I was younger. Those who were foolish enough to dismiss them because of their size, often paid dearly for their mistake. It is a good thing they are playful, or they would be even more fierce than dragons."

"Are you going to tell me about M now?" I got the feeling she was trying to distract me with talk of fairies. I did want to hear, but I wanted to know more about this dragon's alliance with us.

"Eh'met is a good dragon. He has never eaten an elf. You know the dragon with the white wizard is his brother E'lee A'zhar. Eh'met came through the gateway after his brother 'Zhar. I fought with his brother, but he was fierce and deranged. He nearly killed me, and when Eh'met came through, I couldn't even put up a minimal fight.

"He didn't fight with me, but instead flew after his brother. I came back to this meadow to heal. Days later, when the dragon came back, I went out to meet him. Eh'met waited by the gateway, and didn't attack me. Instead he asked if he could stand guard, to make sure his brother didn't return to our realm. He already understood what would happen if one of their kind returned.

"He knew he could never return himself. I knew if I fought him, he would likely kill me. We made an agreement that I would kill the dragons that came through, and if it was too much for me, he would make sure they could never return. It worked very well, until about a hundred years ago. The gateway chose Eh'met as a guardian. A hundred years ago, Jheyms put a curse on the king, and this gateway is sensitive to the rightful heirs. It is now truly a dragon as well as an elven gateway. Eh'met cannot abandon his post, unless there is another dragon to act as guardian.

"If we fail to stop Jheyms, the curse will become permanent. But if we fail to stop Zhar, then he could defeat Eh'met, and become the guardian. Jheyms has been searching for access to the gateway, and he knows one way is through the castle. It's why he wants to be king, so he can open the secret chambers and find the gateway. He thinks Zhar will help him open the gate. He's a fool!"

"Is Zhar afraid of fighting his brother?" She laughed at my question.

"Eh'met is no match for Zhar. Zhar is older, and he has tasted the flesh of elves and humans alike. He does not fear Eh'met, but he does fear what awaits him on the other side of the gateway, should he return."

"He's afraid of the elves?" I saw the smile she tried to hide.

"You should talk to Eh'met about that. I am not qualified to tell you dragon lore."

"But you know the answer. Why won't you tell me?"

"Some stories are not mine to tell. I'm not going to tell you, because I know you fear speaking with the dragon. You need to talk to Eh'met. You can go now." With that order, she stopped talking, hugged me, and walked away.

Before I opened the portal, I looked through to the other side. I didn't see Alyss, and I was quick when I stepped through. There was no one waiting for me, and I knew M would be in the main chamber. I made my way through the tunnels, quietly in the dark.

I saw the darkness of the dragon moving off to my left, along the wall. I was going to speak with him, but then I heard Alyss wailing. I hurried into the chamber, and came to an abrupt halt when J'spurr's snarling jaws confronted me.

_"Haven't you done enough, elf? _ _Stay away from her, or I'll forget my promise not to eat you!"_ I saw Alyss, sitting on the floor, hugging her knees. It was obvious she was crying bitterly. J'spurr's tail curled around her protectively.

"What happened? Is she still drunk on magic? You have to know I didn't mean for this to happen; she's my friend."

"Be'lah? Oh please Be'lah, you've got to help me!" Alyss stood and hurried my way. I was afraid she would want to go back to the meadow, and I was ready to flee from her crazed scheme. But instead she stopped in front of me and took my hands in hers. Her eyes were back to normal, but for the tears. "I'm sorry I went crazy, but this is terrible! Please, you've got to do something." I had no idea what she was talking about.

"Alyss, what's happened?" She let go of my hands, and I gasped when a pair of enormous, iridescent, butterfly wings unfurled from her back, and fluttered gently. I couldn't say a word.

"It was bad enough growing up and being able to tell the future, but now I'm even more of a freak! I just want to be normal again Be'lah – I just want to be a normal girl." I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her tight. She felt so small and frail in my arms, and her wings folded neatly, almost disappearing on her back.

Our tears blended on our cheeks as we held each other. "I know Alyss, I know. I just want to be a normal girl again too." She pulled away at my words.

"I never saw this coming, or I would have stayed out of that awful place. Is there anything you can do?"

"R'ness told me that they call it magic poisoning. She thought your human half would blunt the fairy half. She said it could have been worse – much worse. She said you might develop a fairy gift, after absorbing so much magic."

"Gift? This isn't a gift Be'lah! I have _wings!"_ I don't know if she intended it, or if it was the stress, but the wings again opened up and fanned us. "They itch, and I had to cut the back of my dress open!"

_"They're beautiful – like you." _J'spurr spoke up from over her shoulder. "_I don't want a normal girl. I want a tiny little pixie, with butterfly wings – she has my heart." _I was pretty sure Alyss understood the dragon's tongue, the way her whole demeanor changed, and she turned to face her silver prince. Her wings fluttered, and her feet left the ground.

I was forgotten, as Alyss did her best to cuddle up against the dragon's cheek. It had to be one of the strangest things I'd ever seen. I turned and left them.

Eh'met was in an alcove where I was sure it was convenient for him to hide. I could imagine any human, dragon, or elf that came into the caverns, wouldn't see him until it was too late. I shuddered at the thought.

"_I wondered when you would seek me out, elf. You're not here with a death wish, are you? I could eat you if you wanted to die." _

"No. I have questions." He terrified me. He looked exactly like my nightmare dragon, but for his gold eyes.

_"Pity. You would taste almost as good as your ancestor. She wouldn't allow me a taste of her blood, like you did. But the scent was mouthwatering." _I sensed he might be teasing me, but I had no way to be sure.

"Why doesn't E'lee A'zhar want to go back to the other realm?"

_"He is afraid."_

"What's he afraid of? I mean, he's a dragon, and he already fought his way through the elves to get here before, right?"

"_Not exactly. My brother was a good dragon at one time. I looked up to him, and I wanted to be just like him. A dragoness keeps her nest for as long as she is laying eggs. Eggs are laid and hatched one at a time. Zhar was already much older, by the time I came along. There were three siblings between us, who didn't survive. Our realm is a hard place to live. The realm through the gateway is not our realm. That place is making us soft and our population has exploded. Dragons are not meant to lead a life of such ease. In our realm, only the best and strongest survive. Zhar was one of the best, and I was strong._

_ "When the gateway to the elven realm was discovered, we didn't go. We heeded the council of the elders, and we stayed behind. It was the young and foolish who went in search of easy prey and green lands. But when these young ones came back and reported on the abundance they found, more went through. Soon, even the elders agreed, that we should go, and allow our realm to lie fallow for a time. There was a dragon guarding this gateway, but he was nearing the end of his time, and he didn't want to fight to protect the lands beyond our own. _

_ "The new world was a tender place. At first Zhar and I were charmed by the beauty and the __abundance of food. Zhar loved the cold region, and we settled there, even though I preferred a warmer climate. I convinced him to leave this place, and visit the warm lands to the south. It was in these warm lands, that he met his mate. _

_ "I should warn you, dragons mate for life. You might compare us to birds, that take one mate, but will take another, should that one die. Dragons do not. One mate, one life. There is a connection between a mated pair, that goes beyond anything physical. They feel each other, even when they are apart. _

_ "Khar'min was a dragoness beyond compare. I saw her first, and I adored her from a distance. She was stunning – beautiful and strong, and wise. She was red – a beautiful red that only manifests in our own realm. Dragons hatched in the elven realm are all shades of brown and green, like lizards. Khar'min was the one I wanted._

_ "But she chose Zhar. _

_ "I confess, I was jealous and angry at first. But they loved each other like…. humans have no concept of love like dragons. Elves might understand how deep a dragon's love goes, as they can live forever. But humans have no concept of such a connection. Perhaps mothers and their children can understand a little of the total selflessness in this bond. _

_ "Zhar and Khar were such a pair. To see them fly together was like watching red and black perfection, synchronized symmetry, and precision. The young looked up to them – wanted to be them. I thought for sure they were destined to rule some day. Our kind are ruled by a council, but rarely a pair comes along, and they're destined for leadership. Zhar and Khar were such a pair. The last time a pair had ruled, was before my time. If I didn't hear it from those who saw, I would have thought it was a lie, or a nestling tale. _

_ "The last to rule were the only ones to ever return from this human realm. He was one of the first to go through the doorways, when they were still kept secret from most. Travel through the gates has always happened, but it was rare. It's the reason each realm knows that others exist. This adventuresome dragon didn't stop in the elven realm, but came through to this side. He eluded the previous elven guardian, and claimed he was called to find his mate."_

I listened to his story, caught up in the idea that the dragons I'd imagined were little more than monsters, actually had intelligence, laws, and a social order. It took me a few minutes to realize the dragon he was talking about might be Queen May's ancestor.

_ "He found her, and she was a human." _I heard his unmistakable laughter at this revelation. _"It should have been impossible, but there is magic in true love that defies all laws. He was gone for decades, and when he returned, he came with her."  
_"Was she human? May said she was an old woman when she left."

_ "I'm getting to that. You have no patience. When this dragon returned, he came with his queen. She was a beauty, with shimmering scales of gold. They reigned for over a thousand years. One by one their half dragon children returned, once they reached an age to tap into their draconic lineage. It was a great age to be a dragon, and I'm sorry I missed it. _

_ "Zhar didn't miss it. He told me stories about the wisdom of their rule, and how our kind prevailed over our numerous enemies." _ He turned, and rearranged his tail and wings, trying to get more comfortable.

_ "Be'lah, in our realm, there are so many dangers... creatures that can hurt us, places that will trap us, and climates where only the strongest can survive. There are places where even the vegetation will ensnare and devour anyone who holds still too long, roving swarms of insects that can strip the flesh even from a dragon. _

_ "But when this pair ruled, we prospered. When they left, there was a vacuum the next council was inadequate to fill. Zhar and Khar were gaining notice and many thought they would be next to rule. Instead they made a choice that cost so many lives... it's incalculable." _ The cowl around his face fanned out like wings for a moment, startling me. I jumped back until he settled back down.

_"I don't mean to frighten you. I know I look like my brother." _I moved closer, and he resumed his story.

"_Zhar knew the story of the ruling pair, and he had seen them before they left. He and his mate wanted to learn about where they'd met, and what this realm was like. Zhar and his mate Khar eluded the elves on the island, and made it through the gateway. The elven guardian on this side was old and feeble. Still he fought, and Zhar accidentally killed him."_

I felt horrified as he told this part of his story. M shocked me further, when he continued the story.

"_They ate this guardian." _His head drooped in shame. _"I could never imagine my brother would do something so foul, but the blood of elves is more enticing than anything I've ever tasted." _I thought he was admitting eating an elf, but then he laughed at the look on my face.

_"It was your blood I tasted, remember? I've never eaten an elf – or a human either for that matter. But my brother... he has killed many. He was so good – Be'lah, you have no idea how far he has fallen. _

_ "The death of this guardian set in motion a chain of events that we're still feeling. Zhar and Khar explored this realm. They knew that if dragons invaded, it would be disaster for humans. They were going to do whatever it took to prevent this. They learned that the draconic children of the last royal pair, had spread throughout the land, and intermixed with humans. There were hundreds, if not thousands of these descendants. The human realm needed to be off limits to dragons, or these descendants would be at risk. _

_ "Zhar and Khar had planned to take steps to keep the dragons from ever coming through. But when they went back through the gateway, the elves were ready for them. The death of the guardian had been noticed, and a new one waited for them. Your ancestor was not weak and old, but powerful and angry. She attacked them on this side of the gateway, and they barely made it back through to the elven realm. _

_ "The gate on the other side is under water. It's how the elves have defended it so well. When Zhar and Khar returned, they were weakened, and they emerged from the water to confront elves that had time to prepare for them. _

_ "Khar drew their fire first. Her bright red coloring was impossible to miss in the clear sky. They had prepared for dragons, and though they used magical attacks, their greatest weapons were the kind of machines I've seen used here for a siege. They flew over the elven island, and faced a population ready for war. Khar went down over the island, with an enormous arrow through her chest. _

_ "My brother landed to try to save his mate. He fought and killed many. They backed off just long enough for him to witness the last breaths of his beloved. I really believe he was lost in that moment. He fought hard, but the elves won. They didn't kill him, but chained him, and tortured him._

_ "It was over a hundred years later, before I realized my brother was still alive. The take-over of the elvish realm was slow at first. The council voted that we should proceed to move through the gateway, as so many were sneaking away, it weakened us to our enemies. At first we stayed to the barren or lightly populated areas. Without Zhar, I chose to live in a desert that reminded me of home._

_ "I wasn't aware that a war was being fought against the elves. Without my brother, I exiled myself and paid little attention to what was going on. When I finally heard what had happened to the people who lived in our borrowed realm, I was ashamed. We are not meant to be soulless monsters. We are a noble race, and what we did... I cannot fathom the horror. _

_ "When I heard that my brother was still alive, I planned a rescue. It took many of our kind to provide a distraction, and I found him chained in a cavern, similar to this one. He was in bad shape, and he didn't even recognize me. When I freed him, I thought we would retreat to our side of the world. Instead he leaped through the gateway. I followed him. _

_ "He was already fighting your ancestor when I came through, She wasn't prepared for my fire breath. Zhar wanted to kill and eat her, but I stopped him, and we escaped the cavern. He headed to __the cold region of this world, to heal. I of course went with him. It was there I found out how deranged he had become. The death of his mate has made him angry and vengeful, but he is terrified of the elves. The things they did to him... they had no idea who he was. To them he was just one of those who murdered their people. _

_ "Zhar shared the whole story with me. He was poisoned, he was beaten, his limbs were amputated, he was starved, he was cooked alive, and each time he thought he would die, they healed him. He hates elves, more than he fears them, but he would never open that gateway. The other side of the gate is where his mate died, and he would rather die himself than face that._

_ "I decided I couldn't go home. I can't let him return and tell his story. Those of our kind who know of the gateway, are also afraid of it. The elves guarding the other side, are fierce. Very few of the mainland elves have survived, and those who did are in hiding. The best way to protect this realm is to make sure any who come here do not return. My brother has kept the secret for some reason. He could easily return and lead the evil wizard here. _

_ "I don't know why he's working with the white wizard. There has to be a good reason he's reduced himself to a common mount. One thing I do know, is he will not open that gateway, and if the human intends to open it, he's likely to get a nasty surprise from my brother. I would suspect he plans to eat you. The gateway may open for you, but the wizard won't be happy to have to depend on you to access the realm. I suspect he wants to smear your blood around the opening, as a way to open it permanently."_

The casual way he said this belied the horror of his words. I'd seen enough of the gateway to know it would take all of my blood to paint this opening. I sat down, feeling sick. I had been having nightmares for so long, I knew I wouldn't live through the plans of the white wizard. To know my blood alone could doom this world, made it so much worse. It would be better if I were eaten. I'd never thought that he could use even my dead body.

_ "There is a prophesy among our kind, of an alien creature that will lead us home. Zhar believes that this could be that home. I don't believe that. But if he is right, then the white wizard could be that creature. Or it could be you and your elvish blood. Dragons may indeed follow the white wizard if he opens the gateway, believing he is the fulfillment of the prophesy. You know what will happen if dragons come here. Even one dragon can devastate an area, imagine what thousands could do." _

I could imagine it quite well. I stood up and wiped my eyes; I hadn't even realized I was crying. I ran from the chamber, and ignored Rose's call from the hallway. He wasn't in his room, and I felt overwhelmed and confused as I headed for the ledge and the flooded cavern leading outside. The water exploded, and I scurried back as the immense bronze dragon appeared. He landed on the ledge, and I stared at the glistening scales.

_"What are you doing here, Be'lah?"_ I stared up, feeling inexplicably dwarfed by him. He set a large trunk beside him on the ledge, as I stared up at him.

"I... you weren't in your room, and I... needed – I mean I wanted to talk to you..."

_"Let's go back to my room and talk then." _I followed him back to the obsidian chamber and the wet bag clunked as he dropped it. "_Go ahead and open it; they need to dry out anyway, or they'll rust." _

The trunk was full of swords, daggers, armor and shields. "_Maybe my mother will be able to dry those things out. We might need them later, after the curse is broken. What did you want to talk about, Be'lah?" _

Alyss's words from earlier had been buzzing around in my head all day, mixed in with magic, craziness, and dragon stories.

"How do you feel about me, Ehd Wyrd?"


	10. Chapter 10 Talk

Chapter 10

Talk

"How do you feel about me, Ehd Wyrd?"

_"What kind of question is that?"_ His green eyes flashed my way, suddenly wary.

"I just want to know... I mean Alyss said..."

_"I need you to go and get something to dry these things. Go and tell my mother, so she can take care of them. Hurry along." _He'd cut me off and ignored my question.

"Fine!" I spun on my heel and disappeared, hurrying down the hallway. "Stupid dragon! Does he think I'm just his maid? I don't care if he is a prince, he doesn't get to just order me around!" I muttered all the way along the corridors to the main chamber. I'd gone from terrified to furious with just one encounter with the bronze lizard.

I found May and Rose, and told them about what Ehd Wyrd wanted. May hurried to gather up rags and towels, but Rose wanted to talk to me about Alyss and her new wings.

"Does this mean she's a real fairy? What's going to happen if my brother wants to marry her after the curse is broken? He could be expected to carry on the line, didn't her mother die giving birth?" Her questions were too much on my over-taxed mind.

"I don't know! _ Please!_ For all I know, in a month none of this will matter anyway. The dragons have already overcome a whole world full of powerful elves, and now I'm expected to be strong enough to keep them out of this one. Excuse me if I can't get excited about a pair of wings and a royal lineage!" I felt terrible as soon as the words were out. I did care. That was the whole problem; I cared about it all.

"Sorry." I apologized and turned to go. I didn't want to stick around for more bad news and questioning. I left the main chamber, but in the corridor I realized I had nowhere I could go, that I wanted to be. I could go back to the magic meadow and practice with my grandmother. I could even go to my sleeping chamber. But I didn't want to practice, and I definitely didn't want to sleep. I wanted to scream, and cry, and rail at the situation.

I walked down to the entrance cavern, and sat on the ledge to watch the waves churning below. The mist of the water filled the air, and I wiped the dampness from my face. I hated that I was crying. More than that, I hated that I was alone and crying. I missed my mother and father. I desperately wanted to put my arms around Char'lee, and breathe in the scent of the woods he carried in his uniform. Even if he wouldn't want to talk, he would hold me, and pet my hair.

I especially wished for my mother. She was so different from my father, I often wondered why they ever got married. I didn't want to think about the idea that there was some kind of plan, and R'ness had pushed them together so I could be born. My mother was so far removed from any kind of manipulation. It was like my father was stone, and my mother was water.

She was the one who would sooth me and draw out all my worries and concerns. She was the one who would know what I was hiding, and say just the right thing. She was the one who would want to take me away from all this talk of destiny and prophesy, and shelter me in some remote place where it wouldn't reach us.

It was useless to dream of escape. I cried harder, and my voice was covered by the crushing water below. It was useless to dream of anything. In spite of the training, and all I was learning, I was still convinced I was going to die. My life could be measured in days. I wanted to dream that I could pack a whole lifetime into the days I had left, but I knew that hope was futile.

I was nothing more than a tool. My grandmother had said as much, and M had reduced me even further to food, or bait. I was nobody, and in spite of R'ness telling me I had royal blood in me, I knew I wasn't royal enough to hope that a prince could ever...

I drew my knees up and wept into my folded arms.

_"Be'lah, are you okay?" _I don't know how he moved so silently as big as he was. I recognized the clicks and growls of Ehd Wyrd's dragon speech.

"Go away!" I wiped the tears, and dried my hands on my skirt. I stood and faced him. "I don't want to talk to you now. Or do you have some other errand you'd like your humble servant to do for you, your highness!" I felt the bitterness choke out of me, and I dropped into an exaggerated curtsey.

"_Be'lah... I'm sorry..."_

"I'm sorry too. I'm sorry that I dared to think that we could be... Never mind!" I felt trapped on the ledge. I remembered my training, and dove into the water. I touched the core of magic within me, and swam with the grace of every fish I'd ever observed. My body cut through the water with ease, and I cleared the caverns and kept going. I didn't need to breathe, and I didn't surface until I'd gone around a rocky outcropping, out of sight of the cave. I knew my self-appointed guardian would follow me.

I hid behind a water-gouged rock, and watched him clear the water. Silver water sparkles fell from his body, catching the sunlight and making him appear to be riding on a rainbow. He was beautiful.

The rainbow died in the shadow of the beast. The screech of the black dragon stole my breath, as fear clawed up my spine. No! The dragon attacked, and struck the bronze beauty broadside. I saw a fine spray of blood, as the two tumbled toward the water. They separated before they crashed into the sea.

Ehd Wyrd rushed away from the black monster, and easily outdistanced him. The black spun in midair and flew back toward the cavern opening.

I slid beneath the water's surface as it came close enough to see me. From below the water, I saw Ehd Wyrd attack. Claws raked and teeth snapped in deadly precision, and the black suffered serious damage. Then the bigger dragon wheeled in midair and breathed at its retreating enemy.

I watched, horrified as the glistening wings failed to beat, and the tail stilled; frozen. In seconds it tumbled into the water, and sank. I was torn between wanting to go back and scream for help, and wanting to take on the monster myself. I was afraid of giving away any information, even though M was convinced the black menace was afraid to go near the gateway.

I dove, and swam hard toward where I saw Ehd Wyrd go down. I wasn't sure what a dragon's needs were for air, but I feared if he was unconscious or frozen, he might drown. It's a good thing he was so big, or I might have missed him; he'd sank so far.

I hurried and cast a memory spell, that would allow him to breath underwater. It wouldn't last forever, but I hoped it would be long enough. I saw the slight expansion of his chest, and knew it was working.

I heard a loud splash, and realized the black was diving to find Ehd Wyrd. Even if I brought him up out of the water, he'd still be helpless against those attacks. I left him, and swam a distance away. I rose into the air, thinking to perhaps give the black something else to chase. I came up behind him, and realized he didn't see me, as he focused his attention on finding Ehd Wyrd. I wished for something to throw. I wished I knew the more advanced magic that would allow me to blast him from the air.

Then I remembered something I'd seen when I lived on the coast. I closed my eyes, and again touched the magic within me. I could feel it, pulsing strong, like a living presence inside me. I moved my fingers in a circle, as I pointed at the water. With the other hand, I pointed at the sky, as if twirling clouds and air around my finger. I felt the water answer my call.

The waterspout rose up, like a long, spinning tunnel of air and water. It grew and strengthened, and I sent it after the black dragon. The beast was caught unawares, and it fought to break free of the swirling wind and water, as it was tossed and battered.

It was strong, and all too soon it broke free. I tried to move the waterspout to catch it again, but it evaded my attack. In seconds it seemed to reorient itself, and then it came for me.

I released the spell, and fled, flying through the air. The dragon was faster than I was, and I knew I couldn't out race it. I dove, cleaving the water, and swimming toward the bottom for all I was worth. It dove in after me, and I felt the water freezing around me. I remembered the spell for warmth, and broke free of the icy cold.

The dragon was ungainly in water, and I could swim better and faster. There were rock formations underwater, and I tucked myself in the narrow space between two of these, and waited. I lost him.

The trouble was, if he lost me, he might go for Ehd Wyrd. I couldn't let that happen. I rose to just below the surface of the water, and saw the black dragon circling the area. He was clearly waiting to see if either of us came up. I could swim back to the cave, and get help, but it would mean leaving Ehd Wyrd alone and vulnerable.

I was starting to feel the fatigue of all the swimming and spell casting. I could still feel that fire within, but I wanted to rest. I needed that stupid dragon to leave. I needed it to forget about us. I knew the Oblivion spells of the fourth tier, though I hadn't had any chance to practice them. Still, I just needed him to forget the past hour; that shouldn't be too difficult.

I knew there was only one safe place to cast this spell, and it wasn't from under the water. I timed his circular flight pattern. I needed to move quickly, before he saw me, but I was too terrified to move. I missed the first opportunity, and waited for him to again fly over me. I reminded myself of how much worse it could be if he flew off to bring back the leech.

The shadow passed overhead, and I rose up out of the water. I flew straight for its back, and landed astride its neck, behind the cowl that fanned around its face. It knew I was there in a moment, and I clung to its immense neck as it immediately began a series of aerial contortions to dislodge me. I held on like a barnacle to a piece of driftwood.

I began the chant, eyes closed, fingers digging in beneath sharp scales. I knew the words, and I felt them just out of my grasp. The dragon twisted and tried to bite at me, but he couldn't reach me. Its arms and legs were just a little too short to reach me. I cast a defensive shell, as its tail whipped up to slap at me.

But I couldn't cast the spell for oblivion. Then I remembered M's story, and I realized I didn't need oblivion. What I needed wasn't forgetfulness, but remembrance.

I amplified my voice, and spoke. "I am your worst nightmare! I am an elf, and I am one of many. We have tasted the blood of your mate, Khar'mnn. We will destroy you too. You cannot hide from us; we will avenge our brothers and sisters! Flee dragon! Run far, or we will have our revenge. You will suffer our wrath!"

I could feel its panic. The great heart beneath me pounded so hard I could feel it where I sat. It shrieked and tossed its head.

"_No! Vile, cursed, creatures, relent! She is gone! You have taken my heart! What have I that you torment me so?"_

"Go now and hide, or you will join her in death!" I forced as much persuasion into it as I could, and the dragon turned toward the mainland. As it flew over the beach, I left its back and headed back toward the water.

The shield I still had up, was the only thing that saved me. The dragon turned on me, and snatched me in its grasp. It couldn't crush or pierce me with its talons, and when it tried to bite me, the jaws couldn't pierce my armor.

_"You foolish little girl! You speak no elvish tongue, though your blood is the sweet nectar of elves. I will crack you open and eat you live." _

I fought to free myself, but it held me tight. I wasn't sure how long I could hold the shield. How long until it would give up and swallow me whole? I heard an unfamiliar noise, like the low roar of a thousand creatures. I caught a glimpse of shining, metallic, speed and fury, as the bronze dragon barreled into the black, clawing and biting in a deadly frenzy. I was dropped, and I floated in the air.

They fought, and Ehd Wyrd was more fierce than ever. Again and again he bit and clawed at the black, and evaded its counter attacks. Finally it looked as if the black had taken enough abuse. It disengaged, and I watched it turn to leave. Then in a burst of speed, it came for me. I let myself fall from the air, thinking the shell would save me. Ehd Wyrd darted between me and the black, and caught hold of me.

With me in his grasp, he flew, evading the injured black. It was the same maneuvering he'd done before, and the black dragon was no match for his speed and contortions In a dense stand of vegetation, we landed, and after a while, the black finally gave up.

It was clear we were alone, but still he wouldn't release me. I finally let the shield drop, and tried to wiggle between its talons. He tightened his grip.

"Let me go, you stupid lizard!" Abruptly he released his grip, and I fell, landing hard on my behind. "What's wrong with you? That dragon's long gone, and you're behaving like you've lost your mind!"  
_"Elf, you have no idea! Are you trying to get yourself killed? How many times must I save your life?"_

"Save _my _life? I'm the one who saved your life this time! I would have been fine, if you had just taken off when you had the chance. Why come back and attack him?" He growled low in his throat.

"_I cam back, because he was looking for you. He wouldn't follow me; he wanted you." _

"He didn't know where I was; I was hidden."

_"He doesn't need to be able to see you, he can smell you." _

_ "_Not under water he can't. I'm a water elf, Ehd Wyrd; I can swim like a fish. He couldn't catch me. You didn't have to come back for me."

"_Yes I did."_

"I'm not helpless Ehd Wyrd. I can swim, and I can fly, and I even attacked him with a water spout; you should have seen it!" He stared at me with his enormous green eyes.

_"Zhar is gone now, do you want to go back to the caves?" _

"The last thing I want to do is go back to the caves!" I sat down on a tree root and sulked. His tail twitched through the undergrowth as he waited.

_"What do you want, Be'lah?"_

"I want you to stop pretending you care! I want you to stop watching over me like I'm a baby!"

_"Climb up, Be'lah, I do not wish to stay here." _

"What if I want to stay here? You can go without me; I can find my way back."

"_I am sure you can. But are you aware there are an inordinate number of poisonous plants around us? That log at your feet is full of rot worms. And at dusk there are a number of predatory animals that will be active nearby. Can we go?" _I scrambled up onto his back, and he soared into the sky.

Even though I could fly on my own, it was still exhilarating the way he mastered the sky. For me flying was practical, for him it was poetry. I held on tight, as he flew in a twisting pattern, then glided gently on invisible currents of air.

When he landed again, we were in the familiar meadow. Now that I had seen the inspiration for the place, I could tell what was missing. Still, it was lovely and restful, and safe. I sat on a boulder and watched the late day sun turning everything deep, rich, shades of green. I expected Ehd Wyrd would want to hunt, but instead he stayed.

_ "Why were you crying?"_

"It doesn't matter."

_ "It matters to me. Why don't you want to talk to me now, Be'lah?"_

"You've made it perfectly clear how you feel. All I wanted was the answer to a simple question, and instead you decided to boss me around, like I was your servant! I understand now. I won't burden you with my questions, or my presence. You don't have to watch over me; I can take care of myself. In less than a month this whole mess will be over, and you can go back to your life, and forget I ever existed." Stupid tears! You'd think being a water elf, I'd have some control over that.

_ "Come here and listen to my thoughts."_

"I can understand you fine now."

_ "Come here. What I have to say, I want you to hear from a man, not a dragon." _I climbed up to my perch, where I could touch the crown. I felt silly, but I held on the the circlet.

I heard his voice inside my head. "The items in the trunk were very important, and hard to come by. Metal rusts very quickly when exposed to sea water. I felt we might need those things, if the curse is broken, and we are no longer powerful dragons able to protect you. I would not want to face our enemies unarmed. I did not mean to treat you like a servant. I did not understand how great was your need to talk, nor how much value you placed on your question."

"That's not true. You knew how much I wanted to talk, and you knew how much I wanted the answer. You were avoiding me, and brushing me off. You could have called your mother without even leaving your chamber; she knows your language, and your voice carries. You wanted to get rid of me, and avoid the subject." I could hear the wordless confirmation in my mind.

He exhaled loudly. "I am sorry. Your question caught me off guard. I didn't know how to answer you, and I was afraid a poorly phrased answer would be worse than no answer at all. I can only assume you have heard a little bit of what I have told my brother. He never was very good at keeping secrets. It has been so long since I've had to be concerned with secrets, I forgot. Ask me your question again."

After all the drama, I was almost afraid to ask. "How do you feel about me?" The question sounded weak in the late day shadows of the meadow.

"What I told my brother, is that I was more anxious than I've ever been to be done with this curse. I told him that I've never felt overly bothered by this form before. As a human, I was the youngest in the family, and everyone was stronger than I was. As a dragon, I didn't need to worry about my age. I didn't need to worry about the intrigues of a royal court. I didn't need to worry about the tediousness of always being dressed and presentable, or minding my manners, or learning every title and connection of visiting dignitaries.

"As a dragon, there have been some great advantages. I love flying. I am the fiercest predator, and there is nothing that can evade me in a hunt. I'm impervious to all kinds of weather, and not much outside of another dragon, can hurt me.

"For so long, the things I've missed have been mostly inconsequential. I miss the honey cakes the kitchen cook used to make. I miss being able to sleep in a warm, cozy bed. I miss sword practice, and I miss riding my horse, Thunder.

"But Thunder died decades ago. So did the castle cook. Most of my human life, I only remember dimly. No matter how much I miss being human, I've always known it will be different after all this time, when the curse is broken. I'd become resigned to the idea that I may be like this forever.

"But I am no longer content to stay this way. For the first time since I was changed, I now have a real reason to want to be human again. I would want to court you, Be'lah." Hearing his words directly from his mind, shocked me enough I let go of the crown. I heard his soft dragon chuckle. I gingerly touched it again, renewing our connection.

"I know the thought must horrify you. What could a monster possibly know about courtship?"

"You're not a monster, and you don't horrify me. In fact, it scares me more to know you're a man and not a dragon."

"Why?" I was glad he couldn't read my mind.

"I have never been courted. There was one boy at the school where I learned magic, who was fond of me. But J'kub was young, and I had to leave before he worked up the courage to declare any kind of intention. No one else ever even looked at me like that."

"You must have been surrounded by fools. You are lovely, Be'lah."

"Ehd Wyrd!" I felt a breathless tingling at his words, like I'd held my breath underwater for too long.

"It is not only your beauty that draws me. I have seen many beautiful girls when I was at court. They would try to gain my notice. They wanted to gain the attention of a prince. But you would outshine them all. You're kind, and selfless. You have a fearless spirit of adventure. You're funny, and..." I took my hand off the crown; his thoughts were tearing me apart.

"Ehd Wyrd, I can't..." I dashed the sudden tears from my eyes.

_"I knew it was too much to ask, that you feel anything but revulsion for a monster. I apologize." _Even in his draconic voice I could hear the dejection in his words.

"That's not it, Ehd Wyrd! It's not because of your curse, it's because of mine." I couldn't hold back the tears, and my voice shook as I explained. "I can't have... courtship. I don't get to have love and companionship. I'm never going to be a wife and mother. I can't be like other girls. I'm not going to live through this. I _know _I'm going to die. I feel it with every breath I take. Every time I close my eyes I see it. No matter how hard I train, or how much we prepare, I know nothing has changed. The curse may be broken, but my life is forfeit either way."

"_NO!"_ His shouted roar reverberated through the trees. A flock of startled birds took to the sky. "_You are not going to die; I'm going to protect you!" _I took hold of the crown again, and felt the chaos of all his thoughts.

"You can't protect me." I had never felt such aching sadness over the thought of my own death. Knowing it would hurt him made me wish more than ever that I was wrong. "In less than a month, I am going to be dead. The curse will be broken, and you'll have to forget me."

"Impossible! I could never forget you. Be'lah, I..."

"Don't say it!"

"I love you."

I couldn't say anything for a long time. All I could think about was talking to M, and his explanation that dragons only choose one mate, and it was for life – even if one died.

"I hope your heart is still human." It was only a whisper, but I knew he heard me. "If not, you have a greater curse than being changed." Just thinking about him being alone for the rest of his life, made me ache for him. "Change your mind – _please._"

"No. I love you. I know I can't offer you anything now. But after this curse is broken... we can be together."

"You're not listening to me! I'm going to die. I've seen it in my nightmares thousands of times. We won't be together, because I'll be dead!"

"Then I'll be dead too. If I have to die to protect you, then I will. You are my breath..."

"Shut up! This isn't a bard's tale of romance! We're going to war. I'm going to die And you are going to be a prince, with a long life ahead of you. You can't love me, and you can't die for me!" He roared at my words, and the toss of his head almost dislodged me.

"Why must you be such an exasperating, stubborn, woman! If you can insist you are going to die, then I can insist I love you. I won't change my mind, because I cannot. If you are right, then I will be in love with a corpse, and I will lament my failure, and mourn your loss for the rest of my life, however long.

"But if you are wrong, then I will protect you, and save you, and court you. What would your answer be to such a courtship? Would you accept my love?" I could feel all of his uncertainty and worry. He didn't think I could feel anything for him. I knew I should stop this, and try to keep him from committing to me. But I could hear some of his thoughts, in bits and fragments, and I realized he was already very much attached to me.

"Ehd Wyrd... I'm afraid to even dream. All I have are nightmares." I climbed down from the crown and stood on the ground, looking up at his lizard-like face. He could swallow me whole if he chose. He could tear me apart with his claws. He could simply fall on me and crush me. He was a monster. But his green eyes were expressive, and I knew he would never hurt me. He was a man.

_ "Tell me what you would dream, Be'lah. Start with the morning after we win the war, and you're alive." _He crouched down and rested his head on the ground. I stood beside him, and ran my hands over the scaly skin of his face. It was surprisingly supple, like the links of the finest chain mail or jewelry.

"I would dream that the curse is broken." I patted his cheek. "I would dream of all the leeches being destroyed. M's brother would awaken from his madness, and they could fly away together. I would dream that all the people of the island and the mainland, are safe. I would dream of your father and mother being able to hug one another. I would dream of Alyss and J'spurr being a couple."

_"What of me? Would I be in your dreams?" _I pressed my face against his cheek.

"You would be in my dreams. If I lived, and the curse was broken, I would want to see you, more than anything else. I would want to know if you saw me the same way, with human eyes." I petted his cheek, feeling the scales moving beneath my fingers. "I would want to know if you really loved me."

_"And if I did...?"_

"It would make me very happy." I looked up at his eye. "I'm mostly human now, and can spend all the time I want with Alyss, Rose, May, and even my grandmother, but you're the one I love to talk to. You're the one I want to spend time with. You're the one I run to when I'm upset. You're the one who listens. You know me better than anyone but my mother. You watch out for me, and you've saved my life. If you can be all that as a dragon, I can't imagine as a man you could be less."

_"Do you think you would want to be with me?"_

"I want to be with you now. I don't care if you're a dragon or a man. If the curse was broken, I would still want to be with you. It's Ehd Wyrd I love."

He snorted and his head popped up. He looked down at me with his unblinking stare, and I could tell I'd surprised him.

_ "Wha... do you really mean it?"_ I couldn't imagine a dragon looking so shocked and overwhelmed.

"I mean it. It would be kinder if I ignored how I feel. I should make you hate me, but I'm selfish. I want to be loved, even if it's only for a little while. Yes, I love you, Ehd Wyrd."

One second I was looking at his astonished eyes, then he was gone. He sprang into the air so fast I thought we were under attack at first. Then I watched him flip, twirl, and spin. I'd never imagined a dragon could be so flexible and acrobatic. When he finally landed again, I was laughing. He'd thoroughly distracted me from any worries, by his joyful display.

_"I love you." _The draconic phrase sounded lyrical to my ears.

"I love you too."


	11. Chapter 11 Dreams

Chapter 11

Dreams

I loved him As foolish as it sounded, I felt it deep within me. In some ways I felt that I was lucky that he was a dragon and not a man. As a man, I would have been intimidated by him. I would have felt that I had nothing to offer a prince, and I probably wouldn't have allowed myself to even think of him in any kind of romantic way.

But as a dragon, he fascinated me. I loved the cadence of his draconic speech, and I enjoyed the way his own human mannerisms came out through his dragon features. With him in his magical dragon form, I had something to offer him. I could break the curse. Knowing how we felt, I was desperate to break the binding that held him prisoner. I wanted to be able to put my arms around him, see his face, and feel his touch. I even dared to dream of kissing him, and immediately felt myself blush.

But I knew it was a futile dream. Even as we sat in companionable silence, I watched the sliver of moon creep into the sky. It was all the reminder I needed, that as soon as it was full, my life would end. I closed my eyes, and rested against him. I concocted a new dream to take the place of my nightmares. In my dream, he was human. I had no idea what he looked like, so I imagined him as a male version of May and Rose. I knew his eyes would be green, and I knew he would smile with the same crooked grin he had as a dragon. He would be slim, and agile, like he was in his dragon form. I had no idea beyond that, but it didn't matter. He could truly be ugly, and I wouldn't care. I loved him.

In my dream he held me, and I felt warm, and safe in his arms. I knew he would never let anything harm me. Jheyms could do his worst, and in Ehd Wyrd's arms I would be protected.

My dream self looks up at his loving, green eyes, and smiles. When he kisses me, it's soft and gentle. In that moment, everything shifts, and I'm standing before him in a fine gown. The people watching us applaud, and we are announced as husband and wife. He sweeps me into his arms, and twirls me, leading me in our wedding dance.

From the celebration, we steal away to be alone. He carries me into the dark of our bedroom, and amid the silken linens, we undress. My husband, my love, my Ehd Wyrd, kisses me and covers me with his body. I know a little about lovemaking, and I even know to expect the pain. But it doesn't end.

The pain shreds through me, and I scream as the dragon's claws tear into me. I'm lifted from my marriage bed, as Ehd Wyrd tries to hold me. The dragon takes its prize and flies away with me, as my husband raises his arms to the sky, beseeching me to return. The white wizard commands the dragon to release me, and I hover in the air before I'm drawn onto the great beast's back. With his skeletal hands, he makes himself familiar with my naked body, as the dragon flies. His rasping voice threatens to use me before he kills me.

I fight him. I know the spells to attack him, and he can't defend against my anger. I can't allow myself to be taken to the gateway. I throw myself from the dragon, and hover in the air under my own power. The dragon wheels and comes for me, and I drop like a stone. I use the shield spell to break my fall, and I run.

Lightening flashes and the land dies around me. I sink into the mud, and the dragon comes for me...

I woke up screaming. Ehd Wyrd cradled me in his dragon hands, and lifted me to his face. His soft purrs and clicks soothed me. He stroked me with his dragon fingers, and I felt like a baby bunny might feel when held in human hands. I could feel his love in his gentleness.

_ "I hate this curse! I want to hold you and I cannot. Am I just being foolish Be'lah? You deserve so much more than_... this!_" _

I stroked his cheek. I even kissed the leathery scales beneath his eye. "If you're being foolish, then so am I. I rested my cheek against his. He was so warm, which seemed unusual since we'd been in the shade of the meadow for hours.

_"I've never killed anyone..."_ His voice was soft, as he spoke without moving his mouth. _"...neither as a dragon, nor a man. But that white wizard deserves to die for what he's done. I'll do whatever it takes to protect you. I vow, he will not win." _

I wanted to hold him more than anything. I didn't care if he was the ugliest man ever born; I loved him, and I would have given anything to be able to hug him tight.

That day was the beginning of something wonderful. It was impossible to keep our love a secret from his family, and I was surprised to see that May and even Kharl approved of me. J'Spurr still kept his distance, but his attention was monopolized by little Alyss. The only one who seemed ambivalent about our relationship, was his sister Rose.

She didn't want to talk to me about how I felt, and she wouldn't tell me a thing about him when he was human. May of course told me that her son was a striking young man, and we would make a good couple. She was full of stories about him when he was growing up, and I loved the way she accepted that I might some day be a part of her family.

I pushed my fears to the back of my mind, and dared to hope. I threw myself into practicing the spells R'ness taught me. There were only two more times that she nearly killed me, and one of those was purely accidental. I learned all twelve laws within a week, and spent hours refining and practicing different ways to use them.

R'ness didn't care one whit about my feelings for Ehd Wyrd. She didn't even think it was strange that he felt the same about me.

"You have the blood of kings within you, and you are this world's champion. Still it has no bearing on me, if he should seek to rise above his station and adore you." She stunned me in the way she saw us; like I was better than the prince. "Just do not neglect your study and practice, as you entertain his folly. I'm sure I don't need to remind you, that failure means his death as well as your own."

She didn't need to remind me. My nightmares took on a whole new level of terror, as I watched my love die every night when I closed my eyes. It was his vow to protect me that always put him in harm's way. Often it was in despair that I sought my own death. In one grisly nightmare, I even allowed the black menace to eat me, and awoke screaming, as his teeth rent my flesh.

Ehd Wyrd was always there when I awoke. I'd moved my sleeping pallet into his chamber, and he watched over me at night. Most nights, I fought not to sleep. I spent long hours talking with him, and dreaming about what life might be like after the curse was broken. We spoke of marriage, and even of children. He wanted to be a father, and he envisioned a large family.

He dreamed of traveling, and seeing more of the world than the island and the known mainland. He assured me his sister and brother were both more than capable of taking care of ruling, and that wouldn't even happen unless or until his mother and father stepped down. He told me of books he'd read, about different places in the world, and the people who lived there.

He spoke eloquently of a great desert, and a city of glass. He told tales of a whole society of people who lived underground. He told me of speaking to traders who had actually met the mountain folk, who burrowed beneath them, and made their homes there. He tempted me with stories of a great forest, and the natives who lived in the canopies of the trees, and never set foot on the ground.

All my life, it seemed I'd had to keep moving. I'd never had a place to call home, and it was always something I'd dreamed about. I longed to have a home, with neighbors I knew, and people who called me by name, and never looked on me with suspicion. I wanted to plant a garden, and be there for the harvest. I wanted to plant trees, and see them mature—giving me fruit or shade. But listening to Ehd Wyrd, I realized I could let go of that dream. My home was wherever he was. If he wanted to travel, I wanted nothing more than to be by his side.

A routine seemed to develop, as we all tried to ignore the coming conflict. I learned magic in the morning, ate the midday meal with Alyss and the family, and afterward I spent time with Ehd Wyrd. We typically left, and flew off to where he could help me practice what I'd learned that day. In the evenings we'd wind up in our meadow. Looking up at the sky was a reminder of how close the conflict was coming, as the moon went through its phases.

We made it back to the caves in time for me to eat a leftover evening meal. No one questioned that I slept in his chamber; perhaps they were tiring of my nightly screaming.

I was listless in spellcraft one morning, and even R'ness noticed my distraction. When she questioned me, I opened up with all the worries I had concerning Ehd Wyrd, and his insistence to protect me.

"I see his death, every time I close my eyes. I can't take it! It's too much to ask of me, to lose the man I love for _duty_—it's not fair!" She slapped me—hard. I wondered if she was trying to teach me another lesson by attacking me, but she was livid; even her ears were red.

"How _dare _you speak to me of fairness and duty? You have no idea what I have given up to fulfill my own duty! You have the chance to fight and die alongside your beloved. _I _had to hear of the death of mine through a random scrap of illusory memory! If I had not taken an oath to guard that infernal gateway, I could have died in the arms of my beloved Kithmaron! I could have at least said goodbye!

"He's gone, Be'lah—everything I held dear is gone. I have sacrificed everything in the name of duty, and it is still not enough! There is no _fair!_ Evil will consume everything in its path, unless someone stops it. You have a chance I never had. If you want your young man to live, then _do not fail!_"

She turned and left me standing there, stunned. In the time it took her to step behind a tree, she was gone. I wasn't sure if I should stay or go, we still had hours left to practice. Her words made me feel horrible. Her memory of the past was still sharp, and she still felt her losses.

I wondered if I would be like her someday, if I lived and Ehd Wyrd died. I hated thinking about being alive if he were dead. It was impossible to imagine not having him in some way. I'd come to rely on his presence in my life. In such a short time, I'd grown accustomed to the way being loved made me feel, like a whole new world had opened up to me. I felt like I was experiencing everything with new eyes. A world without Ehd Wyrd would be pale, washed out and flat.

I looked around at the world R'ness had created. She had told me that it was nothing compared to the real place, and I wondered if it was because she'd lost her own true love. I felt a sudden and deep sympathy for her. I went to the pool, and sat on the edge, dangling my feet in the water.

"I'm sorry, R'ness." Softly, for I had a suspicion she was aware of everything that happened in her realm. "I'm sorry I was being selfish. I'm sorry I forgot about all you've lost, and all you've done to help us."

In the hush, she stepped out, and sat beside me. "You are young; I forgive you." Time passed in silence as we sat there, both of us absorbed in our own thoughts. I thought of Ehd Wyrd, and I'm sure she thought of Kithmaron.

"How do you disappear like that?" It was one thing I had never learned. I imagined how wonderful it would be to move from place to place in the blink of an eye.

"This place is my own creation, I can control everything about it. It responds to my will, and if I choose to disappear, it takes only my will to make it happen."

"Is there a real spell that can let me do it too?" She sighed and leaned back on her hands at my question.

"Magic is raw power, as you are learning. The different laws are how we direct it and use it. Knowing the laws is the first step of mastery. But there are infinite ways those laws can be applied. As you saw, when I expected you to use the memory magic of the turtle, and create a shield, you instead used the memory magic of the eagle, and flew. There are many ways to vary spells, and so no two sorcerers are the same."

"So can it be done? It sounds like you're saying it's possible."

"Anything is possible with magic. But some things are not within the grasp of many spellcasters. You have great aptitude, but what you ask takes a certain defiance of the laws. It's like the way you explained flying to me; it's not about the bird, but about falling _up _to you. Most of us learn to identify with the bird, but you have turned the law around. You may be able to learn this spell. But I fear it would take too long to master."

"I've learned so much already! How could only one spell take too long? It would be such a useful ability."

"Be'lah, there is a problem with this one above others. Consider if you will, flying, and then being unable to fly. What happens?"

"I fall."

"Yes. Flying follows the third law of memory—it's natural. You fall, perhaps you use the shield to keep from dying. Even if you forget the shield, you could land somewhere soft and still survive long enough to heal yourself. But this kind of traveling from place to place, breaks the eleventh law of Nature, and nature always seeks to right the wrongs."

"You're confusing me."

"The spell you seek is one that I cannot do. My mind does not grasp the twist to the law. Those I have known who use this one, warn that it must always be done with precision. One mistake, and Nature will retaliate. They took a lot of time and practice to learn this skill, and they were always careful when they did it. If you fly crooked, the air forgives, and you can correct yourself. But if you apparate incorrectly—you die."

"So, it's possible, but _im_possible at the same time?"

"Yes! You understand. The laws can be twisted, and broken, but they are laws for a reason. There is a penalty for breaking them."

"What kind of penalty are you talking about?" I remembered my nightmares, and the seemingly endless run across the barren plain, with the dragon behind me. If I could simply will myself to be somewhere else, I could save myself from that chase.

"I've heard of a wizard embedding himself in solid stone. I've also heard of some who simply disappear and never re-appear. Those I spoke with, only learned the spell for dire emergencies. They spent years to learn this one talent, and even then they seldom used it."

It wasn't what I wanted to hear. But there was something she said earlier that got my attention. "You said magic was the power, and each sorcerer used it differently. Is that why Jheyms had to rely on the witch to change the family into dragons?"

"Yes. This white wizard's misuse of the twelfth law is costing him in more ways than one. It's feeding on him, and destroying his physical body, even as he destroys everything around him. But it also means that he has great power, but little finesse to use it. For you, the magic comes from within, but for him, it's stolen from without. It's like the difference between being able to naturally run as fast as a horse, and stealing someone else's horse and trying to ride. He is not as good as you are now. But what he lacks in skill, he makes up in brutality."

"So he needed the witch for her skill."

"The family is lucky he did not try to cast the spells himself, they could have been destroyed in a very messy way. The witch must have been very skilled."

"How is it that this spell has lasted so long? You've shown me how to transform one thing into another, but it doesn't last—nature always exerts itself."

"It's because of the second witch. The man tied his spell to the prophesy, and he also put his own life energy into it. A simple metamorphoses spell is only temporary, but this curse has the strength of his own life behind it." Something about what she said itched and tickled behind my eyes.

"What if... what if I gave part of my own life, to change them back? Could I undo the curse? Could I make them human again?"

"No. The first curse must be fulfilled." She sighed deeply and explained. "The witches understood the properties of magic had to be in balance. The family has been cursed, but the curse has to be in balance, or sorcerers could curse anyone at will. That is too great a power for Nature to allow. The curse bears the strength of the caster's life. But even if you were willing to sacrifice your life, it also has a balance to it that gives it strength. There is a way to break the curse. In tying it to the prophesy, the witch gave it several ways of being broken. You are the one who can break the curse, but you must fulfill the prophesy. You cannot simply transform them to counteract the magic."

"Could I make them human for a little while?" The thought came out of nowhere. R'ness looked at me in confusion, then smiled.

"I don't know why I never thought of it myself. They are indeed dragons, so the transfiguration spells should indeed work, temporarily at least."

For hours we worked on perfecting and fine tuning the spell. I turned fish into ducks, and ducks into geese. I even turned R'ness into a human, though she begged me to dispell the change within minutes. I discovered that the time a change lasted, depended on how much effort I put into the spell.

Before I left, I went for a swim in the pool. I'd found with the magic in the place, this was a great way to renew my strength. When I left, I ran straight to May, and told her of my discovery.

"I can make them human—for a little while. How would you like to see your husband again?" I explained that I would need a very good description of them, so I could get them as close to right as possible. She did even better. From her own room, she came out with a painting of her whole family.

"It's been too painful to look at, so I've kept it hidden away. One of the best artists in the land, painted this about a year before the curse. The boys were a little older when they were changed, but Kharl... he looked the same. Can you really change him? Even if it's only for a moment... you have no idea how much I've longed for the chance to see him, and touch him..." Tears washed her face, and she wiped them.

"Oh! I need to prepare for this, let me go and change, and wash up!"

"He knows what you look like, mother." Rose's practical comments stopped her.

"Oh... I guess you're right." She giggled nervously. "I feel like a bride about to meet her groom." She turned my way. "Can you change my sons too? I know it's too much to ask to see my family together, but..."

"I'll try. I'm not sure how much it will take." I stared at the painting. It was the first time I'd had an image of Ehd Wyrd. J'Spurr was unbearably handsome, with his soft blond curls and blue eyes. He looked like his father and sister. But Ehd Wyrd clearly favored his mother. The artist had captured his green eyes, and his hair was the same bronze color of his dragon scales, with just a touch of red. He had a strong chin, a long, narrow nose, and an introspective, almost brooding look.

But he'd also inherited the sensitive, pale skin of those with red hair, and his face bore mottled red blemishes, and pustules, oozing onto his ill-treated visage. He hadn't lied; his skin was a mess, even in the artist's rendering. I could only imagine it had been worse in reality. I ached for the boy in the frame, and loved him even more. I could only imagine how difficult it would be, to stand amid such a beautiful family, and look like he didn't belong.

With the images in my mind, we all gathered in the main chamber. I had to get permission from the dragons as well, and we decided that I should go down the line, from oldest to youngest. I wanted desperately to see Ehd Wyrd, but I also wanted to make sure it would work. Kharl had volunteered to be the test subject.

I closed my eyes, concentrating on the image from the painting. I thought about his bravery and his strength, and the love he had for his family. I heard May scream, startling me out of my trance-like state. She rushed past me, and threw herself into the arms of the man standing in front of us. When she was finished covering him with kisses, he turned to hug his daughter.

He even looked like a king in his bearing. He thanked me with a smile, while his arms encircled his wife and daughter. It had taken a lot out of me, but the dragon J'Spurr stepped forward, clearly expecting the same outcome. Alyss clung to my arm, and her wings fluttered nervously. I had to pull away, so I could cast the spell uninterrupted. I didn't have the image of his bravery, but his humor, his protection of Alyss, and his fierceness, flowed into my idea of what he looked like. I imagined the beautiful young man, and the collective gasp I heard around me opened my eyes.

He was adorable, and he exuberantly hugged me first, before his mother tore him away, and pressed kisses all over his face. Alyss used her wings to come between mother and child, and she was immediately in his arms. What they shared was likely the first kiss for both of them, and I turned away from their loving display.

I tried to walk, but I could barely stand. Ehd' Wyrd's tail encircled me, and I leaned against him for support. I looked up at his green eyes, and almost burst into tears. I was exhausted, and I knew I didn't have it in me to change him.

I instinctively translated his dragon language; it was second nature to me now. _"Be'lah needs to rest. I'm going to take her someplace quiet. I wouldn't go into the smaller chambers, since you don't know when the spell will wear off." _His warning made me gasp at what I'd forgotten.

He scooped me up in his dragon mitt, and I drifted into unconsciousness. I didn't even dream.

I awoke to the smell of flowers, and opened my eyes to the three-quarter phase moon, high in the sky. Edward stood over me expectantly.

_"Are you okay? I've been worried about you." _

"I guess it took a lot more out of me to change them. I hope it lasts a long time."

_"I hope it's over before the attack. My father and brother were both good fighters, but as humans, they wouldn't be nearly as good as they would be in their dragon forms." _ I got to my feet to face him, feeling much stronger.

"Ehd Wyrd, what if they went to face Jheyms, and told him his curse was broken? Would he give up?" I felt a small glimmer of hope, at the thought of not having to fight for our lives.

_ "He's not going to give up. Jheyms can't kill them if he wants the throne, but his pet can. If he believed they'd broken the curse, then he would simply have his dragon kill them." _ I sat down in the grass, disappointed.

"No matter what I do, it seems everything comes down to this one conflict. I don't understand how one stupid wizard can completely ruin so many lives. It's just so _wrong!"_

_"We're going to make it right, Be'lah. He won't win." _ He put his face closer to mine. _ "If he had not cursed me, I never would have met you." _ His breath warmed me. _ "I should thank him for that." _

"I love you!" I stood and ran my hand along his snout, and pressed my face against his cheek. "You always make me feel better."

"_You were exhausted. Do you need more rest? You've already missed two meals. How can I help you?" _His concern was touching.

"The fruit here is ripe." I turned and went about picking some of the fruit from the trees. Sweet guava's, plums, and mangoes filled me up and refreshed me. "I think all I need is a little swim, to make me feel better. You don't mind waiting, do you?"

"_Why would I mind? I will watch over you."_ We'd tried to swim together once, but the pool was only deep for me; he only went chest deep, and took up so much space I couldn't swim. He'd displaced so much water, the ground around had become saturated. We reserved swimming together for the ocean. I swam, and enjoyed the way the water seemed to rejuvenate me. When I emerged, I felt like I'd had a good night's sleep.

Half of our night had disappeared, and I leaned against him, running my fingers through my hair. He'd taken me on one of his crazy flights, so I could dry out in a hurry, but the tangles were a trade-off.

"Are you ready to give it a try, Ehd Wyrd?" He was unusually quiet. I stepped in front of him, and he looked down at me.

"_Give what a try?"_ He didn't fool me. It was the one thing that hadn't left my mind, since I'd brought up the idea to R'ness. I knew he hadn't forgotten either.

"Let me try to change you."

"_I thought you loved me just the way I am?" _The warm air from his laughter blew my hair.

"You know I love you, in every and all ways. But I can't hold you like this... are you ready?"

"_I love you, Be'lah. I hope you feel the same way when I'm human." _I didn't even know how to answer his misgivings.

I closed my eyes. I imagined the boy in the picture, but a year older. I thought about the way his mother described him, I thought about how much I loved him, and I thought about his good heart, adventurous spirit, and gentle nature. I poured everything I had into it. I felt the spell's completion, feeling dizzy when I opened my eyes.

He caught me in his arms as I stumbled. I looked up—he was taller than I expected. His eyes were familiar, and his smile was.._. beautiful. _ He was the most beautiful man I'd ever seen. I reached up impulsively and touched his face, and his hand covered mine.

"I..." He opened his mouth, then stretched his jaw. "...I think... I have..for.. forgotten how to speak." He laughed, and his smile widened. "I have a f... voice again!" He moved in close to me, and his arm came around my waist. "I... I lo...I love you, Be'lah! I love you! You are so beautiful!" He pulled me close, and I pressed my face against his chest, and listened to the pounding of his heart. Then he picked me up and twirled me. He was stronger than I expected.

"Ehd Wyrd, be careful, I'm already dizzy." He put me down immediately, and looked so contrite I couldn't help but laugh. "Don't look so worried, I'll be fine in a few minutes. I don't think I've ever been so happy in my life. Could you just hold me... I just want to be close to you." He pulled me close and held me tight

"Do you still love me?" His whisper was almost lost in my hair.

"I will always love you, no matter what." He pulled away then, and gazed down at me. It felt hard to breathe. He wasn't a dragon, and he wasn't a boy. He was a man, fully realized, and just inches from me. He touched my face, then slid his fingers into my hair. I trembled as he leaned closer, and the slight tilt of his head gave away his intent. My mind went crazy, as my body refused to obey me. I just stood there and stared, as his face hovered briefly before mine.

His lips touched mine, and my eyes drifted shut. I absorbed everything, storing it away for a time when I could think. His lips were so warm, and real. They moved and I responded like I could taste him. I wanted to attach myself to him, and pull every bit of sweetness from him. In the span of a gasp, I wound my arms around him and pulled him closer, and yielded to the kiss. I wanted to be a part of him; I couldn't get enough.

He was the one who pulled away from our forever kiss. Eyes open, I stared at him, and we were both breathless.

"That was my first kiss." We spoke in unison, then we laughed.

"I love kissing you; I _love _you!" I leaned in to kiss him again, but he backed away.

"Be'lah, we need to talk, before this wears off." With his arm around me, he guided me to a rock, and we both sat down. I couldn't take my eyes off of him, but the serious look on his face made me worry. What could we possibly have to talk about that couldn't wait?

**A/N: You don't want to hear my excuses about why this chapter took so long. I just want to reassure you that I am still committed to seeing this story through to the end. **

**If I have not responded to your review, I apologize. They are important to me, and I appreciate all comments. **


	12. Chapter 12 Spell

Chapter 12

Spell

"It's not proper for me to kiss you, and be alone with you like this." I didn't know what to say. I'd wanted for so long to see him and be able to touch him, the idea that he thought I was being improper was enough to bring tears to my eyes.

"Ehd Wyrd... I love you... I don't care about what other people might think. I don't care about what's proper. Why are you acting like this? Don't you want to be with me too?" I dashed the tears from my eyes.

His fingers were gentle as he touched the wetness beneath my eyes. "Don't cry, Be'lah. Of course I love you and want to be with you. But I'm a prince too." I caught my breath, fearing the rejection that was sure to come. He was a prince, and I was a nobody, no matter what my grandmother said.

"There are rules and traditions I must honor. I cannot just play around with you. The curse cannot change who and what I am. I've always had to hold myself to a higher standard. The people of our kingdom expect no less. You do understand, right?"

I felt numb. We didn't have much time before the spell would end, but it didn't matter to him. We could die in the conflict ahead, but that didn't enter his reasoning. We loved each other, but it still wasn't enough. I didn't wipe the tears that trickled down my cheeks and dripped onto my folded hands. With my head bowed, my hair hid my face from his questioning gaze.

I wanted to leave him there, and fly away. For once, he was in no position to catch me, and I could find a place to hide in my misery. I could give myself over to the dragon Zhar, and be eaten. I could end the pain that was trying to rip me to shreds, like my heart was being torn from my chest. I never knew love could hurt so much. I loved him with all my being, but I couldn't have him.

"Be'lah? Dear girl, what's wrong?" I tried not to let him see me cry, but he pulled back my hair and I didn't turn away fast enough.

"Just leave me alone!" I stood and left him there, heading for the shadows of the trees. I fought to get my traitorous emotions under control. I wanted to be angry and blame him for my pain. But it was impossible to muster even a little hate for him. I loved him, even if he broke my heart.

"Be'lah..." His voice was soft in my ear, as his arms encircled me from behind. His lips brushed against my cheek, and I felt his body press against mine. I relaxed against him, and let myself dream of having him forever, just like this. The bubble burst when he turned me to face him. It was hard for me to meet his green eyes, even as he tipped my face up. "Why are you crying?"

"We don't have much time, and... I just want to be _with _you. I know it's wrong... but in a week I'll probably be dead, and then it won't matter what other people think." I saw the look of pain flash across his face.

"Don't say that! I'm not going to let you die; it would kill me too! I love you more than anything else."

"Then why are you so worried about spending time with me? I've been with you for weeks, alone and unchaperoned. I've slept in your chamber, and flown off into the night with you. Why do you suddenly want to push me away? I don't understand. Why does it matter now, that you're a prince? Why are you making me wish I'd never cast the stupid spell?"

"As a dragon, I didn't have to worry about the conventions, because it was impossible to be... _familiar _with you. But like this... I have to be mindful of propriety and my upbringing. I _am _a prince; it's not something I can simply forget..."

"I know!" I pulled away from him. It was easier to speak my mind when he couldn't touch me, and his eyes couldn't draw me in. "Why did you ever let me believe we could be together? You're a prince, and I'm just a commoner. I've always known that, but I thought maybe it wouldn't matter. I thought maybe you could love me enough to overcome our differences. But now I see how wrong I've been."

Stupid tears blurred my eyes, and I didn't see him move. In a heartbeat I was in his arms, and he was kissing me. I wanted to resist him, but I couldn't. I was his, as if he possessed my will. His kiss tasted of the salt of my tears, and I clung to him. I hated that I was so weak, but I couldn't let go. Again he was the one who pulled away.

"I love you Be'lah, and anyone who ever says you are common, will have to deal with me. I have no intention of rejecting you or pushing you aside." He stared down at me as he held my hands. "I think you've misunderstood me... perhaps it is my new found speech to blame. Be'lah, I want desperately to be with you. What I'm trying to say is that I can't put your virtue at risk by being alone with a single woman."

He fell to one knee, and gazed up at me. "Be'lah, would you do me the honor of being my wife? Marry me, and I will be overjoyed. I will give you anything you ask, and it will be my lifelong goal to make you as happy as you have made me. Please... marry me."

He wasn't pushing me aside. He was trying to play by a set of rules that was unfamiliar to me. I fell to my knees with him and threw my arms around his neck. I kissed his cheek, his chin, his nose, and his lips.

"Be'lah please... I cannot resist you. You tax my limits!" He pulled my arms from around his neck. "Can you not answer my question? Will you..." He stared at me, and I couldn't look away from his intense gaze. "...marry me?" It finally hit me what he was asking. He wanted to be with me for as long as we had. It could be a week, or it could be years. Maybe we'd have even longer, with his dragon blood and my elven blood. He wanted to _marry _me.

The lump in my throat tried to choke me, but I still managed to answer him. "Yes."

His look of wonder would be forever imprinted in my mind. His smile took my breath away, but his kiss set me on fire. We kissed like we invented it, with our bodies pressed together, and our arms wrapped around each other, in a dance of exploration and longing. I'd never felt the way he made me feel. Every touch made my skin feel as if it were alive only to respond to his hands. I trembled in his arms, and it felt like my stomach was growing a crop of flowers, that would burst out of me any second. If I ever thought I knew how love felt, I was wrong.

He took his sweet kisses away from me again, leaving me gasping. His hands cradled my face, and he smiled. "Be'lah, please... you're testing my resolve, and I cannot fail at this. I'm still dangerous to you." He helped me to stand, and we just stood there, staring at each other.

"Can you just hold me?" He groaned softly and took me in his arms. I wanted so much to kiss him. I wanted more than kissing, and I was shocked at how far I was willing to go with him. I wanted to make love with him, right there in the meadow, where anyone could find us.

"We can swim together, now." I wasn't sure I'd heard him right, with my cheek pressed against his chest. He pulled back, and grinned like he thought it was the best idea ever.

"Do you really like swimming that much?"

"No. But it's safe. If I swim with you, I shouldn't be as tempted to... ravish you." His words put an image in my mind that made my skin warm. I knew I was blushing, and I nodded nervously and headed for the water. I didn't even think about it, and I had my dress hanging on a limb, before I caught sight of Ehd Wyrd, staring. I was wearing only my undergarments, but he clearly saw more of me than he expected. I ran and dove into the water.

It relaxed me, as usual, and I watched as he approached the water. He took off his tunic, but stopped there. It was my turn to stare. His chest was strong, and I realized I'd never really looked at a man's chest before. I wanted to touch him, and swam closer. He sat down on a rock by the water's edge, and looked at his moonlit reflection in the water.

"You got a few things wrong. You've made me taller than I was, and you've changed my skin." He looked at his teeth in the water. "My teeth were never this straight and white either."

"It's how I see you. You're beautiful to me... I guess the way I feel about you came through."

"What's going to happen, when the curse is broken, and I'm not tall, with good skin and teeth?"

"I'll still love you, and I'll still see you as perfect."

"I'm not perfect." He stood on the rock and looked down at me. "I'm a lecherous man, who wants to do wicked things to a beautiful little elf." His crooked smile made my heart flutter. He posed for a moment, looking like a lion ready to pounce on its prey. Instinctively I started to swim away, then he leaped. He cut the water with more grace than I expected, and I swam as if my life were at risk. He was close, and I dove down.

I could have evaded him; I was faster and a better swimmer. But I stopped to watch his shadowy form, and he caught me. Underwater we came together, kissing, and touching in ways that would have been forbidden in the dry, light of day. For a few precious moments, I imagined how it would feel to be his wife.

Wrapped in his arms, we rose to the surface. We both gasped for air, but it wasn't because we were underwater. I slid my curious hands over his back and chest, and he was at a loss on where to put his own. Feeling his touch, through the thin, wet fabric, created an unfamiliar desire, deep within me.

"I don't think this was a good idea, Be'lah." He kissed me again, with a passion that made me tingle from the inside out. I clung to him, with our legs entwined. The feel of his male excitement was impossible to miss. Part of me wanted to flee, and part of me wanted to stay, and discover more of him.

"I want to lie with you..." He kissed me again, holding me tight and destroying any desire to pull away.

"I want that too. I love you." He shook his head at my agreement.

"We must be married, first. I cannot take advantage of your innocence like this!"

"You're not taking advantage—you're innocent too. Maybe we should do this now... we may not ever have another chance. I may die before..." In a moment he was out of my arms, and away from me.

"No! You're not going to die! I refuse to couple with you, just because you're under the delusion your end is coming. No. We will wait. Only when you are my wife—_after _we come through the fight and the curse is broken—only then will we be lovers." His imperious declaration held all the intonations of a royal decree. Prince Ehd Wyrd had spoken. It irritated me that he treated me that way.

"Fine, have it your way." In the water, I pulled off my camisole, leaving myself half undressed.

"What are you doing?" His voice cracked with the question, and he hurried to turn away.

"I don't like being wet if I'm not swimming, and we can't fly around until I'm dried out. I'm just going to wring out my wet clothes, and hang them to dry." I took off the rest of my undergarments, and swam to the shallow water, where I wrung them out. I was fully exposed as I stood at the water's edge. I knew he wouldn't look, even though part of me wished he would.

"Be'lah, you can't just wait here, _naked_! What if..."

"What if someone comes by? You know the island is almost empty, and this area is protected."

"No...what if I _see_ you?"

"I don't care if you see me."

"But... we're not married yet. It's not proper!" I could see the back of his neck turning red.

"I don't care what's proper. Maybe that's because I'm just a commoner's daughter. Maybe it's because I love you, and I'm yours now, as surely as if you put a ring on my finger, and pronounced it to your kingdom."

"Be'lah please... why would you defy me? I only want to protect you, and do things the right way. It's part of who I am."

"I know it's who you are. But you need to understand who _I _am. I'm the woman who loves you enough to give you everything. I'm not holding anything back from you. If you want to make love with me now, I will. If you want to wait, and have a wedding, and a wedding night, I will wait." I stepped back into the water and sank down to cover myself.

"Just don't try to convince me that some rule or convention is going to protect me. I love you, and I know you'd never hurt me. And no matter what you want to believe, you need to understand that I may indeed die in the conflict. The prophesy tells me I will die, and my nightmares tell me I will die. I feel it waiting for me..."

"Stop it!" With his shout he turned to face me. "I cannot bear the thought of your death! Take the sun from the sky, take the ocean that surrounds us, but I beg all the powers that be, do not take the one I love! I will not live without you Be'lah!" He waded into the water, and came for me.

He gathered me, wet and naked into his arms, and held me so tight it almost hurt. He didn't kiss or caress me, but held me until it felt like we were one person.

"You cannot die—I won't allow it." He shifted, and I could swear I felt his warm tears on my cheek. "Please... don't take chances with your life. I need you more than the prophesy needs you. I'll gladly stay cursed as a dragon, if it means you get to live."

"What about the others? Do you think _they _want to stay cursed?"

"I don't care! The cost is too high. I won't let you die, Be'lah." He released me, and the water felt icy after being so close to his warm skin. I sank into the water for the sake of decency, but his eyes didn't leave my face.

"I don't want to die." Never before were the words more true. I wanted to live, and marry my prince, and make love with him, and have him for the rest of my life. "I don't want you to think I have a death wish. I intend to fight it."

"But you believe that fight will be futile." I couldn't answer him, and stared down at the water. "Don't fight this, Be'lah." His words snapped my head up. "Let me hide you away where he can't find you! My family and I can take care of this, like we were meant to a hundred years ago. You don't have to even be there—he can't kill you if he can't _find _you!"

"I can't hide from this, Ehd Wyrd! I've been training for this, I'm supposed to do this, you said so yourself."

"I was wrong. I didn't know there was something more important than removing the curse. _You're _more important than this curse! We can go now, and you can be miles away from any battle—even his dragon won't be able to find you. Please, come with me." He held out his hand, and I knew if I agreed, he'd soon have me hidden away, safe and secure. I also knew he would die if we did this—knew it as surly as if I'd dreamed about it for years.

"No."

"Why not?" His voice had a sharp edge to it.

"I can't hide from the prophesy, Ehd Wyrd."

"You can, you just _won't_! Can you please... just do it for me... because I ask?"

"Turn around." He was confused for a moment, until I headed to the water's edge, then he turned his back to me. With a simple spell, I floated my damp clothes over me, then dried them with a gentle, warm, wind. I finished dressing, then handed him his tunic.

I took him by the hand and lead him to a soft place to sit. We sprawled in the grass, as the moon dropped low in the sky, preparing for morning. With my arms around him, I rested my head against his chest. I didn't want to waste our time fighting.

"You know I can't hide." I softly kissed his throat at the opening of his shirt. "I love you too much to let you face your death alone. Without me there, you and your family will die. Don't ask me how I know this—I just _know._ It's not about the curse, it's about what Jheyms wants. He's willing to kill to get it. That won't change, unless we stop him."

"I would give anything, if this were not so." He gently kissed my temple. "I never knew I could love so deeply." I knew exactly how he felt.

He relaxed back in the grass, with his head pillowed on his arm. I rested partially on him, drowsy and content. We shared kisses, and soft touches, and he made no more noise about rules or conventions. With my cheek against his chest, I listened to the steady beat of his heart, and his calm breathing. I closed my eyes.

His kisses are so sweet, and insistent. His face blocks out the sky, as he smiles down at me, and I reach for him. His hands trace over my bare skin, and I've never felt so alive. I want him, with a hunger and desperation usually reserved for the starving. He moves over me, and I know we're about to make love.

I feel fear and apprehension, warring with love and desire, but I want him. I shift to open myself to him. There's pain. But it's not like I expect, and it doesn't let up. I hear the screech of the black beast, as red blooms burst from my love. I'm covered in his warm, life-blood. Talons tear through both of us, as the beast bites into him. My screams echo in the meadow.

"Be'lah, wake up!" I opened my eyes to beauty. The sun was shining down, turning his hair to molten gold. I sat up and immediately he held me in his arms.

"You're still human; this is wonderful!"

"How bad was your nightmare this time?"

"It was bad, but it doesn't matter. You're here, and you're safe." Snuggled in his arms, the nightmare faded. From holding and comforting me, we moved on to kissing and touching. But again his convictions put a stop to our closeness. He pulled away and stood.

"I think we need to go back to the caves. My mother will want to see me like this, and... I really want to see my family too." I looked up at him from where I was still reclining in the grass.

"You just want reinforcements, so I don't seduce you here and now." His open-mouthed look of surprise made me laugh. I stood and went to him.

"I've been trying to figure out how to get back. Only one of us can fly now, and I'm not sure if I can carry you. We could walk, but that might take a while."

"I have an idea." His smile told me he liked the idea. He lead me from the meadow and the waterfall, and I could feel when we left the area of protection, like stepping through a spiderweb.

We kept to the cover of the trees, but it was only a small hike to a farm he remembered. It was abandoned, and there was just something about the place that felt wrong. Seeing so much left behind, like the family was going to return any time, made me acutely aware that the prophesy wasn't just about me. All over the island, there would be places just like the farm. Places where normal people were planning to return, once they knew it was safe.

Ehd Wyrd barely even looked at the house, as he headed for the barn. He came out running and yelling, trying to catch the horse that had escaped. I watched as he tried several times to chase the animal down, only to see it take off running as soon as he came close. I had to wonder if it could sense he was a dragon in disguise.

He was sweating and muttering under his breath, when he came to stand beside me. "I can't catch the stupid thing! The horses return to the barn for food, but they're practically wild now. That's the best one of the bunch, but he won't hold still."

I kissed his cheek, and wiped the sweat from his brow. "Let me try."

I headed toward the pasture, and the horse watched me approach. I whispered a spell from the third law of magic—memory. "Remember me, horse? Remember how it was, when there were oats in the barn, and someone to brush you and take care of you?" It didn't take much to get the animal to come to me. I offered up an apple, and it followed me back to where Edward stood.

"You amaze me. Do I even want to know how you did that?"

"Magic." I smiled.

"I'll get the saddle and tack from the barn and..."

"No. We can ride him bareback; he''ll cooperate. The tack would only slow him down if we run into dragons." I wasn't sure if I meant the black, or Ehd Wyrd himself. Either was possible. His mouth set in a grim line, and he nodded.

We both rode the horse, and I sat behind Ehd Wyrd, with my arms around his waist, and my face pressed against his shoulders. He was a good rider, and I grew to enjoy the way the jostling of the horse moved his body against mine. I took the opportunity to absently touch his arms, legs, chest, and stomach. I didn't ride the traditional way, as I'd grown used to sitting astride when I'd ridden him in flight. I had to bunch all my petticoats beneath me, and still my skirt kept my legs modestly covered.

We rode west, with the late morning sun warming us. I was worried about what lessons I was missing, and I ran through the laws and what I'd already learned, in my head. When we came to the cliffs, we set the horse free again, and watched as it disappeared, back the way we'd come.

"How do you propose we get down?" I wanted to see what ideas he had, before I suggested my solution. He didn't wait, but leaned out over the drop and yelled. I thought for sure he was crazy. I was sure his voice wouldn't carry, and I was prepared to cast a spell to float us both down to the water, where we could swim through the mouth of the cave.

While I was still planning, a dark shadow flew over us. I couldn't help the icy fingers of terror that crept up my spine, as the black dragon wheeled and flew back toward us. In the sunlight, it glittered, like wet onyx, encrusted with diamonds. It landed before us, and fixed us in its golden stare.

"_Look who else has joined the ranks of the weak and puny." _Its voice seemed too bold for the light of day.

"Very funny, M." Ehd Wyrd was fearless, and walked right up to the dragon. "Can you take us back to the cave?" The dragon poked him in the belly with one claw, as if to point out how easily he could end him.

"_Your chariot awaits—little man." _I heard the distinctive sounds of dragon laughter. The black beast crouched down, and Ehd Wyrd helped me climb up on its back. I held tight to his arms, as they encircled me. It was too much like the flights of my nightmares, where it was Jheyms behind me. I had to reassure myself that I was awake. His kisses on my neck did wonders for reminding me that this was different.

When M took to the sky, it was with a burst of speed that nearly unseated us. Ehd Wyrd had always flown with a fluid grace, but M's wings beat the air with power and strength that dared the world to hold him back. I held on tight.

The dragon circled and flew out over the water. I held my breath for the dive, but it didn't come. Instead he headed for the sky, and the water dropped away beneath us.

"Hold on, he's showing off." Ehd Wyrd's words in my ear were almost lost to the pressure in my head. When the dragon turned for the dive, it let out a screech that covered my own scream. My ears hurt, and it wasn't helped when he pulled out of his dive, and struck the water on his stomach, like a skipping rock, jarring my teeth together. Ehd Wyrd had done a similar maneuver, but M did it with more power and speed.

After the fifth jarring bounce, we were airborne again. I closed my eyes, and leaned back against Ehd Wyrd, trusting him to hold me. I felt the spirals and loops, but I didn't even open my eyes. I sensed when the dragon was about to dive. It was a simple spell I cast, that would allow us to breath underwater. M dove, and it didn't take him long to come up in the cave. He didn't leap for the ledge as Ehd Wyrd always did, and I realized he was too big for the ledge.

Instead, he scrabbled up onto a rock formation, flexed his wings, and again flew. The hallway to the main chamber was barely big enough for him, but he knew what he was doing, and his body flattened out as he arrowed through the space. We had to duck to keep from hitting our heads on the ceiling, and I was very glad when we entered the main chamber.

Still he didn't land, but flew up high in the chamber. I had no idea the ceiling was so tall and he circled it as if he'd done it a thousand times. Knowing his history, I was sure he had.

"Eh'met, get down here, immediately!" Far below us, a beautiful, blond princess stood, with her hands on her hips. I was stunned that the princess thought to command such a powerful beast. I was even more surprised, when the dragon obeyed, quickly dropping from the ceiling and landing before her.

"What are you trying to do, get my baby brother killed?" The dragon's head drooped, and he made a mumbled apology. Ehd Wyrd helped me down from its back, and as soon as she saw him, she forgot all about chastising the dragon.

"Oh my! You look so handsome!" She flew into his arms, even though he was still wet from the ocean. While they hugged, I thanked M, and patted his shoulder. I wasn't forgotten for long. Ehd Wyrd pulled me to his side as soon as Rose released him.

"You can be the first to know... Be'lah has agreed to marry me!" He kissed my cheek, but I watched her expression, and she wasn't pleased with his announcement. She hid it well, and put a smile on her face, before offering her congratulations. She didn't look at me, as the rest of the family came over to greet us, and see the new Ehd Wyrd.

In no time, there was a party atmosphere in the chamber, and food was set out for the many humans to enjoy. Alyss and J'Spurr were inseparable, and Kharl and May were never far apart. At the news that I'd agreed to marry their son, Kharl and May were both pleased. J'Spurr teased that he'd make an extra effort not to eat me, so that I could live long enough to tie his little brother down.

Amid the food, laughter, and teasing, someone brought out a stringed instrument, and passed it to Ehd Wyrd. J'Spurr groaned as his brother tuned the instrument, but everyone listened when he began to play. At first the songs he sang were humorous, and his voice cracked with the high notes. But then he sang in a lower register, and his voice gained strength. J'Spurr stopped laughing, as he played expertly, and sang songs of war, loss, and undying love.

Two by two, they left us, and we were alone as he sang a song just for me. The love and longing in his voice, brought tears to my eyes. When he put the instrument down, I moved into his arms, and we kissed. I never wanted to be apart from him, but I had to leave him to go and speak with my grandmother.

All the way down the hall, I worried that he would be changed back when I returned. But R'ness was waiting for me when I stepped through the doorway.

"Don't bother making excuses, child. Return when the spell wears off, and we'll work twice as hard to make up for the lost time." I kissed her cheek, before running back the way I'd come. The main chamber was empty when I returned, and I found Ehd Wyrd in his own chamber. He was sitting there, on my small bed. I sat beside him, and he laughed.

"I've been so worried about following the rules and observing protocol. J'Spurr and Alyss are... _not _following the rules. He will marry her once the curse is broken, but they've already become lovers. Likewise, my mother and father have been hidden away in their private chamber. No one said a word, that we were alone together, with no chaperones—well except for Rose. I don't understand her."

"She doesn't like me."

"Don't be silly, she loves you; she told me so herself. She doesn't think I'm good enough for you. She wants me to wait until after the curse is broken, before I make any kind of commitment to you. She doesn't know that you already hold my heart."

"Why would she think you weren't good enough?"

He laughed. "I was a bit of a brat when I was younger. She made a good target, for me and J'Spurr. I've had a lot of time to... mend my ways."

"I still don't think she likes me."

"It doesn't matter. I _love _you. Nothing short of a royal command can keep me from making you my wife."

"She can do that?" I was suddenly unreasonably worried.

"She'd have to get it by my mother first. But she is going to be queen some day." He put his arm around me. "Don't look so worried, I _am _going to marry you." He kissed my cheek, and turned my face so he could kiss my lips. In moments, I was so carried away, the only thing I could think about, was that we were alone, and sitting on a bed.

His soft words in my ear sent shivers through me. "No one will stop us, if you want to... you know... " I knew what he was talking about.

"No." I pulled away from him. "Jheyms shouldn't get to influence how we behave. You told me how you wanted to do this, and I don't think we should compromise your principles, just because our time is limited." I put my arms around him. "However, I do still want to spend time alone with you. I don't need a chaperone to tell me what to do, or when to stop."

"I can't say I'm not disappointed. But I'm glad you understand me."

We spent the rest of the day together, just talking, holding, kissing, and being in love. When the night came, we snuggled side by side in my little bed, and I drifted to sleep in his arms. If I had a nightmare, it wasn't enough to wake me.

In the morning he was up when I opened my eyes. He looked at me with such sadness on his sweet face, and I was instantly on alert. I rushed into his arms, and we kissed. I felt his tears on my cheek when he whispered in my ear.

"I think it's wearing off. I can feel it... I love you so much... you better stand back..." I watched the transformation overtake him, with tears streaming down my face. It was a spell I knew, and could cast again. But we all knew that I wouldn't. It took too much out of me, and it was too close to the time of our battle. I was afraid it might be the last time we were ever together as a man and woman. I suddenly sympathized with Alyss and J'Spurr. I wondered if it would have been better to make love with him while I had the chance. But it was too late.

He dropped his head down, and I rested my face against his. The magic moments had passed, and we now had to deal with our reality.


	13. Chapter 13 Attacks

Chapter 13

Attacks

Time seemed to become my enemy. I spent long hours learning whatever my grandmother could teach me. I spent time with Ehd Wyrd whenever I could. And I worried. I knew our time was running out. We had days left, and none of us knew what form of attack Jheyms would hit us with. There was a plan in place to hide Queen May, Alyss, and Rose away in the depths of the caves, in case he came at us through the cave opening. There was a plan for Kharl and J'Spurr to attack him if he should even come close.

But I couldn't help but believe those plans wouldn't be necessary. Jheyms wouldn't do anything predictable.

We'd stopped going out to our meadow. I hated losing that little shred of comfort, but everyone thought it was too dangerous for us to be out alone. No one knew when or where Jheyms would attack. All I knew was that we were running out of time, and still we waited.

She was proof that the caverns weren't secret. She slipped into the caves as quiet as any cave rat, but much more deadly. She was bold, and carried a glow sphere to light her way. We were all in the main cavern when she made her appearance. J'Spurr tried to attack her right away, likely sensing the threat in spite of her girlish aspect. She froze him with a word. I shouted a warning to Ehd Wyrd so he didn't make the same mistake.

I recognized her at once, though her hair was almost completely white. She was the young leech apprentice, Jain. She stopped amid us and met everyone's eyes.

"Nice to see everyone. Queen May, Princess Rose, King Kharl, Prince J'Spurr, Prince Ehd Wyrd... and our little seer, what a surprise. And of course I haven't forgotten you, dear sorceress, Be'lah. My master has great plans for you." Ehd Wyrd made a move toward her, and she froze him. It was a simple matter to counteract her spell, freeing him and J'Spurr both.

"Wonderful! I do believe you have learned a few things! Let me warn you now, if I do not return unharmed, my master will avenge me—on your people. The regent and the magistrate are both under his control. You have done a good job of driving the people from the island, but there are still many left behind. Many who will die if you do not do as you are bid." She casually walked around the open room, smiling at everyone.

"Tomorrow the moon is full. Tomorrow my master will come into his glory, and you will all play your parts. You can try to thwart him, but he will only deal with you more harshly. Go into the prophesy docile, dear Sorceress. Your death will be an easy one, and your blood will usher in a new era! My master will reward any who help him. But even if you choose the folly of resistance, you will not stop him. You will only ensure that those you love will suffer." She ran her icy hand along my cheek, and I shuddered.

"Tomorrow, Sorceress, when the sun sets, you are to present yourself on the battlefield—you know the one. There my master will take you, and you will be sacrificed. The gateway will be opened, and he will rule all of dragonkind and humans alike. Even those who count themselves among royalty, shall bow to my master. It is written, and it shall be." She turned to walk out of the cavern.

"I won't go!" She turned and laughed at me.

"Do you think I could not take you here and now? I am not without resources, and if you do not show up, then we'll be forced to do things in a less pleasant way. You may feel secure here, among your dragons, but you are as vulnerable here as you are on the surface."

"The black won't come here."

"We don't need the black to do our bidding." With a quick move of her hand, Alyss was suddenly in her arms. "I cannot kill the royal family, and my master would be most displeased if you died too soon. But this one... she is nothing to me... but such a lovely life force!"

"Let her go. I'll be there tomorrow."

"I thought you would see reason." She let go of Alyss, and watched bemused as she fluttered back to J'Spurr. "Tomorrow this ends." We all watched as she left. I thought about following her and drowning her in the cave, but I was afraid Jheyms really would avenge her.

It was a somber group I faced.

"She stinks! I mean she smells like something died." Alyss fluttered her wings to air out the space.

"She pulls her magical power from living things around her. In some ways, she's sacrificing her own life to her power. I'll be surprised if she lives another five years," I explained.

"She won't make it that long, if I catch her first." Ehd Wyrd's threat sounded ominous. "You aren't really going to meet them tomorrow, are you?"

"I don't have any choice. We've known this was coming; now it's here. Tomorrow the curse can be broken, and you can be normal again."

"What about you? What happens to you tomorrow? You heard her, Jheyms intends to sacrifice you to open the gateway."

"I intend to fight. I'm not going to let him win."

"You won't fight alone." I knew Ehd Wyrd would fight with me, but Kharl and J'Spurr both lent their support. Whether I liked it or not, tomorrow I'd face Jheyms with three dragons by my side.

I went to see my grandmother, and let her know what had happened. She didn't teach one last lesson, or even give me one final piece of advice. Instead she held me, and wept.

"I'm sorry my dear. I honestly didn't expect that I would come to love you so much. You're strong, and I've taught you everything I can. But if I could trade places with you, and meet that wizard tomorrow, I would do it. I cannot leave this place, or I would stand with you." She stepped away from me, and faced the waterfall.

"All this time, I thought I was creating a weapon. I have planned and poured everything I am into making you who you are. The blood of every race of this realm flows in you. You are indeed part elf, but you are so much more than that. You are something this world has never seen. There is a power within you that has yet to be tapped. There is something within you as yet unnamed. You were meant to fight this war, from the moment my own daughter was conceived. You were designed for this moment in time." She turned and tears trickled from her eyes.

"All this planning, and I would give anything if you didn't have to go. I have come to love you. I treasure you more than you know. In all the loneliness of my exile, after all of my losses, you have become so very, very dear to me. The cost is too high, and yet it must be paid. If I could undo what I have set in motion, I would spare you this fate."

"It's not your fault. I've known since I was a little girl, that my fate was sealed."

"That's where you're wrong. I set this in motion. With the help of those on the other side, who have stronger magic than I, we engineered your whole line. All the way back to me, your grandfathers and grandmothers have not been left to random happenstance. It's the reason your own father and mother couldn't stay together; the sole reason for their union, was to create you. You are a product of selective breeding. You are the culmination of all our two worlds have to offer—and I directed it all."

"Why? I mean I can understand wanting to keep the dragons from spreading, but that's not what this is all about. Why would you spend so much of your life at this?"

"It was all I had left. I'd lost everyone and everything that mattered to me. All that was left was revenge. You were to be my mighty weapon of revenge." She cried openly. "I could never ask you to forgive me. I only hope that I've made you strong enough to survive. I love you, like all those I've lost before. I cannot bear the thought that my mistakes could cost you your own life."

I put my arms around her. I could certainly understand wanting to get back at those who'd cost her so much. The thought of losing Ehd Wyrd made me feel like I could easily understand her motivations.

"It's too late to worry about all this now. Tomorrow I'll go out to fight, and I intend to win. The curse will be broken, and the prophesy will be fulfilled. If that means that I have to die, then it's a small price to pay for everyone to finally have their freedom."

"It's not about the royal family, is it? It's about that boy." She had to bend to look in my eyes.

"He's not a boy, he's a man, and I love him. I'll do whatever it takes to see him safe."

"I think you might understand me after all." She held me tight, and wished me luck, then sent me on my way.

Aside from a somber meal together, I spent the rest of the day with Ehd Wyrd in his cavern. Nestled into the curl of his tail, I spoke of our future. We talked of our plans after the battle, when the curse would be broken. We talked about traveling and seeing the world. We made plans for our wedding, and we talked about our children. I wanted more than anything for this to be my future.

The time went all too fast, and I fell asleep. For the first time since I'd come to the island, I didn't have nightmares.

Morning was difficult, as the family insisted on having breakfast with me. There was talk among all of us about how we'd handle the upcoming conflict. Without a doubt, Ehd Wyrd, J'Spurr, and Karl would be with me when I met Jheyms on the plain. It was decided that Alyss, Rose, and May would stay behind in the caverns, where M would protect them. His need to guard the gateway prevented him from joining the fight, but he could look after the women, if they remained in the caves.

M would also be there when Jheyms entered the caverns. He had to come in the same way Jain had, if he wanted to open the gate. M had a powerful fire breath, and he promised to roast Jheyms alive if he showed himself.

With everything we had in place, it should be certain that we would win. But I had doubts. I had years of nightmares that showed my death. No matter how strong the dragons were, I knew Zhar was a tough adversary. And I didn't trust Jheyms to play fair.

As the time slipped away from us, I spend as much of it with Ehd Wyrd as I could. It was hard to believe we'd soon have to fight for our lives.

At Kharl's suggestion, we left the caverns early. He wanted the chance to scout the terrain and see what we were in for. I guided Ehd Wyrd to the place I'd known since I was a child. It was one of the few flat, open spaces on the island. There was some low vegetation, and I remembered how the white leech had drained the life from everything in my nightmares. We were close enough to the cliffs, I could hear the distant waves on the wind. That wind blew strong, and whipped my hair about my face. It also gave the dragons a challenge in their flight.

The moon was full in the sky, though the sun still shone in the late afternoon. It was a beautiful day—a good day to die. We scouted out all the places to hide in ambush, and they planned their flight patterns. They planned to attack the black dragon and the white wizard together. I would ride on Ehd Wyrd's back, and be able to cast spells at the leech. The dragons would harass Zhar and keep him off balance, and they figured there would be no problem in taking them down.

We waited on the plain, as the sun crept low on the horizon. I was astride Ehd Wyrd, and J'Spurr and Kharl were spread out to make it difficult to attack them. I always knew the battle would be fought in the light of the full moon. The sky was clear as the sun sank into the sea.

When it finally came, it wasn't anything like what we expected. A deep fog crept across the field, and we heard noises. The dragons waited before launching their attacks. Out of the fog came a small army. The citizens left on the island, carried swords, shields, and even farming tools. They rushed at the dragons, screaming—an unorganized mob of humanity. The dragons took to the sky, but it was unclear what to do about the people. I realized they were under a spell from the fourth law—oblivion. Their memories had been changed or stolen, and they were doing someone else's bidding.

Ehd Wyrd flew in close and I cast a counter to the spell, leaving them milling about in confusion on the field. They clearly didn't know where they were or how they got there.

I heard the black dragon screech from the fog, and the laughter of it's rider. He was there.

"I want the sorceress! Send her to me now, and no one else needs to get hurt." The dragons took to the sky to try to find the white leech. He was hidden in the fog below. "You think you can fight me? Fools!"

From astride Ehd Wyrd's back, I witnessed the horror. The black stepped from the fog, and breathed his icy breath on a group of people. They froze solid, toppling to the ground, where some of them broke, like ice sculptures. It was horrible.

The two dragons, Kharl, and J'Spurr flew at the dragon, and it took to the sky. I watched as the two fierce dragons pursued the black, and I dared to hope. Then it flew low and breathed another icy swath through the terrified people. Dozens were dead on the ground, and the rest fled in every direction.

"I want the sorceress! We will kill everyone if you do not hand her over!" In a gruesome display, the black flew low, and snapped up a man who was running away. In moments, he was gone, a hapless meal for the dragon.

"Put me down, Ehd Wyrd! I can't let this happen!"

"No, he'll kill you for sure!"

"I'm not going to let them all die for me. Put me down, or I'll jump!" He circled and landed. I leaped from his back and ran toward the fog. I ran past the dead men and woman, noticing there were even a couple dead children among the bodies. Jheyms would die for this, I vowed.

Out of the fog came a monster. It was bigger and more horrible than I remembered from my nightmares. Blood and gore dripped from its fangs, and its red eyes fastened on me with evil intent. I froze, as if I were one of the island's people. I couldn't go one more step.

"Sorceress, glad you could make it." Jheyms came up behind me, and wrapped his skeletal arm around me. "Such a pretty thing, it's a pity I don't have time to play with you." In spite of his words, he kissed my cheek. I felt like retching. He propelled me toward the dragon, and I don't know how my feet moved. His arms were cold, like a corpse from the tombs, and he smelled of rot and decay. He'd existed a hundred years on stolen life, and I knew he meant to have mine as well.

I was astride the dragon, and he was behind me. My nightmares unfolded, as the beast took to the sky. Three dragons pursued us, snapping at its tail, and trying to force it to land. Jheyms turned, and lightning shot from his fingers. The gold dragon was struck, and fell from the sky as I screamed. Two still stayed on the black, and I saw Ehd Wyrd fly beneath it and tear into it with his claws. The black screeched, and spun, giving chase.

Ehd Wyrd was a strong flier, but the black was injured and enraged. It snapped at Ehd Wyrd, and I managed to throw a shield spell between them. Jheyms immobilized my arms with his own.

"Enough of that, Sorceress!" He held me tight, and the black closed the distance between Ehd Wyrd. I watched in horror as it tore into him, and Ehd Wyrd went down. Then we were attacked from the side by the silver dragon, J'Spurr. He bit into the neck of the black, and his claws raked its side.

Jheyms reached out to cast a spell, and I threw his arm wide, and lightning flew harmlessly into the sky. J'Spurr disengaged from the black and flew back toward Ehd Wyrd. Jheyms flew toward the cliffs and the cave, but the black had other plans. It landed far from the island's edge, and refused to go any further.

I took the opportunity, while the white wizard was trying to urge his mount further, and leaped from its back. I ran, away from the cliffs and the cave, where I knew he intended to sacrifice me. I heard the dragon take flight behind me. I turned and released a lightning charge of my own, scoring a hit on the black. It screeched and flew at me. I dodged its attack, flattening myself against the ground as its jaws snapped above me. It circled, and I raced along the plain, hoping to find a place to hide. I thought absently of running for the far cliffs, but I'd tried that in every nightmare, and it always failed.

The black circled and came back for me. I again turned, and blasted it with a spell. I was getting tired, and the black was obviously raging. Onward I ran, my lungs burning for air. The black flew over me again, but like my nightmares, the White Wizard reached down and drained the life from everything on the ground, except me. The grass grew brittle, and tore at my robes. I could smell the death and decay from the very land around me.

With his stolen power, he pointed toward the sky, and storm clouds gathered in a rush. He shot a lightning bolt at me, and I barely shielded myself. I could smell the power of it around me. I continued to run, not even knowing where to go, but needing to get as far away from the cave as possible. I didn't know where the dragons were, but I knew I'd seen two go down.

The storm unleashed its fury against me. Rain pelted me, and lightning illuminated the monster in the sky as it came for me again. I shielded myself against its bite, and its attempt to claw me. It flew away before I could orient an attack against it. I ran, my feet churning in mud, and my soaked robes slowing me down. I shrugged out of the top layer, and ran faster. The muck sucked at my shoes, and I lost them. I felt exhaustion overtake me, and I fought not to fall.

Then I felt searing pain. The black caught me in its claws, and I could feel each razor sharp talon pierce my body. It opened it's great maw, clearly intending to eat me. The white leech commanded it not to, or I'm sure I'd be gone. Then, like my nightmares, it dropped me. I was held mid-air by the power of the leech. I tried to fly away myself, but his power won out, and I was again pulled astride the dragon.

"Such a fighter, but you should know better. I've already won." Again a streak of silver smashed into us, and J'Spurr tore into the dragon. The leech freed a hand, and touched the dragon. I saw him drain the dragon, pulling the youth and vitality from the dragon. I screamed and tore at his face, trying to gouge his eyes. The leech let go of J'Spurr, and the silver dragon fell away. Jheyms had to contend with me, and I was determined to fight him to the death if necessary.

From the physical attack, I hit him point blank with a spell, making him scream. Skeletal fingers tore into my hair, and he held me in place as he hit me in the face with his fist. He was stronger than I realized.

From out of nowhere, a beautiful, bronze dragon attacked. The black had been seriously injured by J'Spurr, and the shredding it took from Ehd Wyrd almost did it in. The white leech realized he was about to lose his dragon mount, and he reacted with an attack on my love that horrified me. Lightning, point blank, tore into him. I heard his cry as he fell from the sky. I screamed and attacked the leech, but he commanded his dragon to head West with me.

I fought him, biting his arm and elbowing him hard in the sides. I cast a spell from the sixth law of fear and pain. I put all I had into it. I gave him all of my fears and nightmares in one blast, and combined it with the pain of my injuries and the pain of losing Ehd Wyrd. The wizard screamed and released me.

I threw myself to the side, letting myself fall from the dragon's back. It tried to grab me, but I forced myself to fall harder and faster. I could have flown, but I didn't have any fight left in me. I wanted it to end. I felt the hard ground and all the air left me. I was broken. I could see blood and bones poking through my skin. I felt the damage to my head, and knew I wouldn't live much longer.

I knew I'd seen his death. My Ehd Wyrd had taken so much damage for me, and in the end I knew it was too much. No one could survive a lightning blast so close. I'd seen his eyes glaze over, and watched him fall. I wanted to die. If I died there on the plain, the leech couldn't use me to open the gateway. I struggled, trying to bleed out faster. The pain felt like dragon teeth, tearing into me. I couldn't breathe, and I knew it would be soon. I closed my eyes.

"I'm so sorry Ehd Wyrd, I love you. I would do anything for you..." Darkness took me.

**A/N: Sorry for the short chapter and the cliffhanger. I've been in the hospital with pneumonia, and didn't expect to be able to finish this chapter. **


	14. Chapter 14 Gateway

Chapter 14

Gateway

Foul. Filth. Death filled me. I didn't expect I'd ever wake up again, but lightning flashed across my closed eyes, and they opened against my will. I wasn't dead, but I wished I was. They stood around me—over me—three leeches, each more evil than next. I recognized them all; Jain, Kai'us, and Jheyms. I didn't know which one had healed me, with their foul, stolen power. My bones were whole and not broken, and though my blood had run freely into the ground, I knew I was no longer an empty shell. I was whole, but much worse than that, I faced three of them, alone.

I tried to fight. Three attacks, one for each of them, were neatly deflected with little effort. Jheyms twisted my arms behind my back, and held me in his cold, skeletal grip. Jain bound my wrists behind me, and without direction, Kai'us took my feet, and the two men carried me between them. I struggled for all I was worth, but it was as if I was nothing to them.

I recognized the sound of the crashing waves, and I knew we were too near the cave entrance. At the drop-off, I kicked with all my strength, and was rewarded with a solid hit to Kai'us' nose. He raised his hand to strike me down, but Jheyms stopped him. I spit on his bleeding face, and called him a name reserved for cowardly dogs. I wanted to make him mad enough to defy his master, and kill me himself.

He was furious, but obediently took hold of my feet again. I accused him of being Jheyms' errand boy, and his fingers dug painfully into my ankles. Jain pointed at my mouth and cast a spell from the fifth law of communication. I was struck speechless. I could breath, and I could even move my lips, but no sound came out. Bound the way I was, I couldn't cast the simple counterspell.

"Thank you, my dear." Jheyms took one hand away from me, long enough to caress the girl's face. She smiled and rubbed her cheek against his hand like a kitten—I wanted to retch.

Faced with the drop-off, I was sure they couldn't possibly get me down the cliff and into the submerged cave. Jain led the way, and the three of them stepped off the edge, and we all floated down to the water. I was instructed to hold my breath. I thought about taking a deep breath of seawater, but I knew they would only heal me again if I drowned myself.

As we submerged in the water, I twisted out of their grip. I was a strong swimmer, and my lineage as part water elf helped me escape their grasp. Even with my hands bound, I kicked away from them, heading for the open ocean and the dark, deep water.

I didn't realize he could compel me underwater, but I was stopped and pulled back, a child's toy on his string. Hands tangled in my hair, and they all swam for the cave opening, dragging me along with them.

As we broke the surface, I tried to scream, but my voice was still frozen. Jain led the way, as we floated up to the ledge. They held me tight, or I would have thrown myself back into the water, and made my escape. Nothing I did seemed to work, and they again hoisted me like an animal carcass.

They were so quiet, and I was terrified they would catch everyone off guard. Jain lead the way, as she was already familiar with the place. She didn't announce her presence with a glow sphere, but she confidently strode ahead of us.

The light was blinding, and the heat nearly blistered my skin. I heard her screams, and smelled her burning flesh, as M stepped out of the shadows and breathed his fiery breath on Jain. The tunnel was alight with the living torch, as she ran in circles, trying to beat out the flames. I watched in horror as she was consumed, her long hair burned brightly, and her face melted. She sank to the floor in a lump, and golden eyes looked our way.

I felt his indrawn breath, and knew I could never get a shield in place. I would die there, in flames, but I would not be forced to open the gate. I closed my eyes.

With a word, Kai'us froze him in place. I opened my eyes, and saw him poised there, ready to end us all. I had no doubt he would have killed me too, as he was the guardian of the gateway, and I was a threat. Golden eyes watched us pass.

"She's still barely alive; I can heal her." Kai'us looked at the blackened form of his initiate.

"No, leave her. I don't need her, she's served her purpose."

"But I thought you two were..." Kai'us seemed unwilling to move on.

"Just because I took her to my bed, doesn't mean I cared for her. Move alone, our time is running out."

I worked at the ropes holding my hands. The water had made them tougher, but I felt like I might be able to slip free. I twisted hard, and felt the ropes wear against my skin. I worked as hard and fast as I dared, and when I felt my blood it gave me hope. Slick with water and blood, I was able to wrench one hand free. At the same time, I felt the spell silencing my voice suddenly give out—Jain must have died. I pulled my other hand free, and kept my sudden liberty to myself.

We entered the main chamber, and the glowing rocks cast a dim light over the place. For just a moment, Jheyms was awed at the size of the cavern, and just stood and stared. I made my move, using my own body as the conduit for an attack against both wizards. It was enough to make them drop me, and I scrabbled along the stone floor, trying to stand. My shield blocked both their spells, and I ran for the shadows. I had the advantage; I knew the caverns and they didn't.

From behind a stoney pillar, I concentrated my spells on Kai'us. He was the weaker of the two, and I hoped that if he died, M would be freed. From the eleventh law of nature, I cast some of the most powerful attack spells. Lightning crackled from my hands and struck the wizard. Before he could recover, I threw a small cyclone at him, and watched as he struggled to free himself.

I narrowly dodged a similar bolt Jheyms threw my way, and I realized I couldn't stand still. I darted behind pillars and rocks, and every time I paused, I attacked the lesser leech. He was good, and he blocked me or evaded my attack, but he was weakening.

With every attack, Jheyms threw a spell my way. He had stopped trying to kill me, and I could feel he was trying to trap me, or steal my will. He wanted me alive for his sacrifice. Every spell he threw changed, and I had to be quick to counter it in just the right way. It was exhausting, but I knew I couldn't fail, or Alyss, May, and Rose would be in danger.

Kai'us was tiring, trying to defend against all my different attacks. I was using the same tactics against him, that Jheyms was using on me. One spell I knew took advantage of my lineage, and was not easy to defend against. I ran again, narrowly missing being hit by the oblivion spell Jheyms threw. It was a burst of water that caught Kai'us unprepared. A huge burst of water, like a giant wave, or the water forced into the cave opening, caught him, and pushed him toward the ceiling. I held it in place, risking another attack. The evil leech rode the water high into the dome. I felt him pressed against the stone ceiling, with all the pressure of the water pummeling him. With one final push, I forced the water hard against the wizard who had tortured me without mercy.

I let the spell go and ran for my life. As the powerful jet of water dissipated, I heard an anguished cry. Kai'us, battered and nearly drowned, fell from the dome, screaming and flailing as he forgot how to fly, or maybe he lacked a simple feather. I heard the sickening thud when he hit the stone floor. I didn't have time to see if he lived or died, as Jheyms was close behind me.

It was a simple spell that allowed me to escape. From the fourth law of memory, I used one of Ehd Wyrd's shed dragon scales, and flew the way he did. Arms spread wide like wings, I was speed, grace, and power. This wasn't falling up, this was the kind of flight I'd always dreamed about. Jheyms tried to follow me, but his flying was nowhere near as good as mine.

"My two apprentices are gone; it's just you and me, Sorceress. You won't escape your fate so easily." I threw a lightning bolt at him, but he dodged it. His laughter reverberated in the dome. "You cannot hope to fight me; I'm much more powerful than you. Save yourself the torment, and prepare to die."

I remembered how he'd drawn me to him. I knew the spell, and I used it against him. He didn't expect it and his defense was too late. I had him in my power, and I slammed him into the stone wall. From there I threw him to the ceiling, and then the opposite wall. I wanted him dead, and once more crashed him into the ceiling, before slamming him to the floor, like his own apprentice.

I landed lightly, and Jheyms was prone. Kai'us was a few yards away, his blood coating the floor. His chest rose and fell, as blood trickled from his mouth. He still lived, but he didn't have long.

I felt pain explode in my shoulder. I'd taken my attention from Jheyms, and paid the price, as he propelled a rock the size of my head at me. He staggered to his feet. I tried to hit him with a blast of wind, but he shielded himself. His bloody smile terrified me.

"I should thank you, Sorceress. I now know where this cavern lies. It's been under the audience chamber all along." He looked up and laughed. "I'll break open the ceiling, and my dragon army will be able to fly free—after you die."

It was a spell from the second law, and it offended me to even think of casting it. Until I met my grandmother I believed it to be evil to even learn it. As he bragged, I cast the death spell at him. He dropped to his knees, screaming. I wondered why he had no defense against it, but then realized that most sorcerers would never learn it. He writhed on the floor in pain, fighting for his unnatural life.

It felt horrible, directly using my own magic to kill him. He turned onto his back, and begged me to stop. I fought not to release him from the powerful spell. I remembered his attacks on the family, and more recently on Ehd Wyrd. No. He was evil, and he deserved to die. It was long past time for him to give up his stolen life.

His back arched, and screamed one final time, then fell silent and still—eyes staring.

"You did it!" From out of the shadows of M's alcove, Rose rushed into the room. I was exhausted, and almost fell under her exuberant hug. "You killed him—you broke the curse!"

"I lost them..." The dam broke, and I collapsed against her, crying. "...I lost them all. He was just too powerful." I sank to my knees in despair. "My beautiful Ehd Wyrd...he fought so hard to defend me." I remembered seeing him fall, and I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to force the image from my mind. I threw my head back, and screamed. All the loss I felt, tore from my throat in agonized wailing. The sound echoed, and reverberated, haunting the dome like a banshee for long moments.

I almost didn't recognize her scream. High and thin, the sound grated on me. I wiped my eyes, thinking that Rose was expressing her own grief along with mine. Through my tears, I saw her moving away, but when I looked at her face, I saw terror, not grief.

He had her. Jheyms wasn't dead; he was holding the princess with his arm around her throat, backing toward the corridor that lead to the gateway.

"NO!" I wanted to deny what I was seeing.

"Run Be'lah! Save yourself. Don't let him destroy our world!" He yanked a handful of her hair, and demanded her silence.

"Run Sorceress, and the princess dies in your place. Don't think I won't find her mother and the Seer too. I wonder how long they'll last when I play with them."

"You should be dead!" He laughed at my words.

"You're too weak-willed to kill with a death spell. It takes unwavering intention you lack. Perhaps the princess and I will give you a demonstration." He pulled her through the doorway. I knew I should flee, but I couldn't allow him to kill her. As I headed for the hallway, I was joined by Queen May, and Alyss.

"You can't go with me, you two need to hide! He'll kill you if he gets his hands on you."

"He has my daughter, I'm not hiding." I was surprised to see May was armed. She carried a sword that was half as big as she was. Even Alyss carried a large, sharp, knife. "Don't look at me like that, I know how to use this. Even the girls in our line are taught to fight. This sword was made especially for my mother, and passed on to me. Let's go!"

The two women followed me into the dark hallway. I thought they'd know the way, but they each held on to my robe. I felt the way, as if the gate itself called to me. I'd forgotten how far it was, as we hurried to catch up.

When we entered the room with the gate, I felt it in my bones. Runes on the walls to the left and right, made a soft glow. Rose hovered in the air, with her feet out of my reach. I was about to fly up and bring her down safely, when Jheyms warned against it.

"Don't touch her, or I'll kill her, Sorceress. That goes for you too, Seer and Queen Ess May. Better yet..." With the flick of his wrist, Alyss and May were suspended beside Rose, hanging frozen in mid-air. "This is between the two of us, Sorceress. Make no mistake, I will torture and kill them all if you don't submit—I'll make you watch." Even as I gazed up at them, a deep gash appeared on Alyss' arm, and blood dripped onto the stone floor.

"Stop hurting her, I'm here! Let's finish this." I aimed a bolt at him, and he neatly defended. I heard May gasp, and watched as she struggled to breathe.

"It's up to you whether she lives or dies, Sorceress. How long do you think she can survive without air?" I cast the death spell at him again, knowing he had no defense. His laughter echoed in the enormous chamber. "You can't kill me, you're pathetic! One more attack, and I'll drain them all. It's up to you. Come to me, and they will live; defy me, and watch what I can do to them."

"Enough! Leave them alone." I didn't want to surrender, but I'd thrown everything I had at him,and failed. I was tired—exhausted to the core of my being. I was heartsick at the extent of my failures. Kharl, J'Spurr, and my love, Ehd Wyrd, were all gone. Alyss, May, and Rose would die too if I didn't submit. Perhaps M would free himself in time to stop him. It was my only hope.

"Let her breath, and let me heal Alyss. Let them go, Jheyms, and I'll... I'll submit." May took a gasping breath. I floated up and touched my dear friend, and closed the wound on her arm.

"They can go free—_after _your sacrifice. They're my only insurance that you won't fight me. Tell you what, I'll even _promise_ that I'll get them out of the caves before my dragons come through. Not that it matters, you have _no choice!_ Come to me, I tire of these delays."

I couldn't make my feet work. I was out of options, and I knew I was going to die. I thought about the life ahead of me if I could only survive this. It was a life without Ehd Wyrd. It was a life without love, and all we'd dreamed about. My listless steps took me across the floor.

The room brightened, as the gateway responded to me. The runes on the walls glowed brighter. Jheyms sat on what at first looked like a large, stone bench. Then I realized it was a low altar, worn with age, and embedded with runes. He laughed as he stood. He had won.

"Lie down here, Be'lah, it will all be over soon." His cold hand slid along my face and into my hair in a parody of affection. I didn't even have the energy to flinch. The gateway hummed—thrummed, as if attuned to my very soul. My teeth vibrated, and my bones shook. It was as if it knew what was happening. I sat down on the altar, imagining some kind of intelligence behind the gateway. I felt my heart pounding, and I could hear the blood rushing through me. There was ringing in my ears as I lifted my feet. As he pushed me down, I wondered briefly if he would bind me there.

As soon as my head touched the altar, colors exploded behind my eyes. I trembled and ground my teeth. My hands clenched into fists, and I couldn't move. I felt the heat from the active runes. I sensed a force—a presence of some sort within the whole structure. The altar, and the gateway were interconnected, and I was part of it all. It searched me, and knew me—it was _alive!_

I forced my eyes open. "Stop!" I was barely able to gasp the word. It took all I had left to force words. "This is wrong! You are corrupting the gateway—this was never its purpose—STOP!" A scream forced its way out of me.

I felt defiled. It was the gateway being defiled, and I felt it. I watched in horror, as Jheyms touched the runes, a look of delight on his cadaverous face. One rune froze me in place, and I felt the magic stilled within me—I was as the stone. Another rune took my voice. I tried to scream, but it was frozen, somewhere deep inside.

Jheyms arranged my robes, exposing my arms and legs. I was thankful that he didn't strip me, it was the smallest of comforts. Something trickled into my ear, and I realized I was crying. This was it. This was what I'd expected since my first nightmare. This was the prophesy fulfilled. I felt such a sense of loss.

He rubbed his hands together, and with a smile of pure malice, he touched two runes. I felt pain at my wrists and ankles, and realized I'd been cut deep. My blood ran freely, and filled small channels in the altar.

_Defiled. Corruption. Mongrel. Filth. Foul. Wrong. No. Stop. Desecration. Contamination. Stop. Taint. Wrong. Stop. WRONG! STOP! _

I felt ideas, not the actual words, thrumming in my mind in painful bursts. I would have screamed if I had a voice. I couldn't even open my mouth. I watched as blood climbed the sides of the gateway, red ribbons working to join at the top. Such a large gateway...needs so much blood.

I heard something rumble, and felt something shake. The ringing in my ears intensified, and the pain in my head exploded, stealing my sight. I smelled the blood, and felt it running from my nose. The shaking moved me on the altar. The loud rumbling overcame the ringing in my ears. I hoped it was M, finally free, but I knew it wasn't the dragon.

There was bright light against my unseeing eyes. I knew in my soul, the gateway was open. I felt it screaming within me. Once my blood encircled the entire gate, it would never close. It would be a two way conduit between this realm and the one where the dragons lived. Jheyms would go through and call his army, and any water elves that stood in his way, would be drained. I felt this truth, as if I were a seer, like Alyss.

I felt the anguish of the gate itself. It tore through me, and I wailed a silent scream inside my head. It had stood for centuries. Thousands of years had passed, and though those who created it were gone, it existed, _almost alive, _and _nearly intelligent. _

The pain left me, and my vision cleared. I watched the ribbon continue to climb, and it was over halfway to the top. I knew when it reached its apex, I would be dead. I already felt weak and delirious."

Ehd Wyrd. I closed my eyes, and thought of him. My beautiful, protective, gleaming bronze dragon. I remembered our one day when he was a man. I ached for him. I longed to feel his arms around me one more time. Tears flooded my face as I wept over never feeling his kiss again. Death was nothing, compared to the loss of my love.

The cavern shook, and even Jheyms stumbled.

"What are you doing, Sorceress?" He tried to shake me, but I was stone and silent. He touched the second rune, and I gasped, feeling my voice return. "What are you doing! Tell me, or they will pay the price!" He was livid, and again the cave rumbled.

"Nothing. It's not me, it's the gate." I had control of my mouth and my eyes, but nothing else.

"You're doing this! You're trying to thwart me! I demand that you stop, immediately!" I screamed, as Alyss dropped to the floor like a sandbag, unable to break her own fall. With the flick of his wrist, he pulled her to him across the the room. "This one is your friend, right? I'll drain her right now, if you don't stop this quaking!"

"Please don't do that! I'll cast the counterspell—just don't hurt her." I remembered my lessons on the fifth law of communication. Jheyms expected an incantation, as he still saw magic through the eyes of human teachers. I started to speak, as if casting a powerful spell, but with my eyes alone, I freed Alyss from her frozen state. She was smart enough to keep still.

More nonsense words gushed from me, and I stared into his ice blue eyes. From the seventh law of Identity, I cast my spell. The cavern rumbled, and he and Alyss both nearly fell.

"It's not working! I'll kill her..."

"No you won't. I know you Jheyms. You are nothing but a smitten boy who was denied a pretty girl. All this—all this is nothing more than a spoiled young man's temper tantrum. You'll never have what you want. She's dead, and you have destroyed your youth and your body in your quest for power. No woman will ever love you of her own free will. You're repulsive. You sicken anyone in your presence. You destroy everything you touch." He stared at me in shocked silence.

"You can call a dozen dragons to follow you. You can call a thousand, and it won't be enough. There isn't enough power in the world to give you what you want. Love and respect will never be yours. You wanted love and you got hatred instead. You wanted respect, and you got fear." Alyss slipped from his unfeeling grip. He stared at me as she fled. He was thoroughly under my control, as I told my story. I could have told him to free me, but I didn't want to be freed.

I looked over toward Rose and May. With my eyes alone, I set them on the floor. I cast a spell from the tenth law of binding, then I awakened them from their dreamless sleep. They were bound to me, and had to do as I told them. It was a spell I'd always considered to be evil, but I wanted to save their lives.

"Run. Leave these caverns, and help each other swim free. You have to go now and leave me behind. Find the dragons and... see if you can save them." I felt pain tear through me as I feared it was too late. "Take only what you'll need. Go now—hurry!" They left the room on the run, and with a wink I sent a glow ball their way, so they could find their way out.

Jheyms stood over me, staring. He was completely captured. I waited, watching my blood crawl up the gateway, and turn the corner to cross the ceiling. I was so weak. The floor of the cave shook hard. I heard breaking stone from other caverns, and I worried about Rose and May. I wanted to follow them and make sure they made it out. I even considered ordering Jheyms to help them. But we both had a date with destiny.

"Touch the first rune again." He obeyed me, and I was free. I stayed right were I was, as my blood inched across the ceiling of the gateway. The room was hot, and I felt the sweat running from me. I didn't dare move my hands, either to wipe away the sweat, or my tears. "Not long now, Jheyms." I was gasping, and so tired. "It's almost over."

The caves heaved, rock split, and the odor of sulfur assaulted my nose. Far across the cavern, and beyond the gate, a bright orange light split the floor.

I released Jheyms from the spell. I knew the caverns would soon be overcome. The gas was already choking me. I watched the two red stripes heading for each other, and I closed my eyes with a smile. I heard his ineffectual raging, and he even shook me, demanding answers. His plan of world domination was slipping through his fingers.


	15. Chapter 15 Failures

Chapter 15

Failures

We'd hidden. Everything in me screamed that we should do something to help, but I hid within the caves. May held tight to her sword, and Rose restlessly paced, choosing one weapon after another, then discarding it in annoyance. I felt ridiculous holding a kitchen knife.

My wings itched. It wasn't like when they were new, but like they were on edge. I was reminded of listening to old or injured people, speak of how the changes in the weather could be felt in their bones. The itch was maddening.

I felt something inside me, struggling to wake up. The visions that sometimes flashed in my mind, terrified me. They came faster and more insistent, the longer we hid. I saw the fall of the dragons, and the only thing that kept me from sinking into despair, was the innate assurance I had, that J'Spurr still lived.

When they came into the caves, we knew M had attacked one of them. We heard the screams echoing, and we smelled the charred flesh. Still impatient, Rose snatched up a long, thin, sword, and left our hiding spot. May tried to catch her, but she slipped away,through the shadows to the alcove where M usually sits.

May and I huddled together as we listened to the battle in the main chamber. I wanted to help my friend, Be'lah, but I knew I couldn't fight the leeches. May made several starts toward the chamber, sword in hand, then she stopped and came back to me. She had witnessed Jheyms' power first-hand, and she knew to respect the magic.

The chamber grew quiet, and I felt the stillness. A vision froze me, and in my mind, I saw the leech rise up and take Rose. When it released me, May saw the horror on my face, and we both raced for the chamber. We were just in time to see him dragging her into the dark corridor toward the gateway.

I barely recognized my friend. She was battered and bloody, and her hair was singed. She was exhausted, and she looked at us with vacant eyes. For a moment, she looked about a thousand years old, and I wondered if somehow her grandmother had traded places with her. Then she hugged us and told us to run and hide. She was the one who looked near death, but she was worried the wizard would kill _us. _May refused to go back into hiding as long as he had her daughter, and we fell in behind Be'lah as she headed toward the gateway to face him.

I wanted to urge her to leave. I knew he intended to use her to open the gate and let the dragons come through. But something told me it had to be this way. Up until that point, none of my visions went beyond the open gate. I'd seen it happen several times, but I could never see beyond that moment.

We followed her into the tunnels, each of us holding on to her damp robes. It was darker than I remembered—a kind of blackness that seemed to suck the light out of everything. When we came to the room with the gateway, I was momentarily blinded, even though the light was dim.

Rose hovered in the air, as if she herself had sprouted wings. Jheyms was there, and he warned us not to go to Rose, or he would kill her. I had no doubt that he could do just that, and likely enjoy it. The next thing I knew, I was suspended beside my friend.

I must have been in some sort of spell, because when I was finally able to see, my friend Be'lah was on the altar. From the air, I could see everything all too clearly. I was horrified to watch her blood flowing into the channels of the altar, and up the tall walls of the gateway. She was so pale, it was like her skin was translucent, and her eyes were sunk into her once pretty face. She looked like a leech herself, and I realized the altar must be drawing the blood from her body.

_Listen to me, child. _I felt something in me awaken. _You will stop the abomination. _Unfamiliar thoughts invaded my head. For as long as I could remember, I'd been able to see visions of the future, but this was something different. Even with the alien thoughts in my head, I was still frozen in midair, though my wings were folded.

I heard the rumbling of the cavern, and worried something bad was happening. I wasn't alone in my worry, as even the white leech was alarmed. He tried shaking an answer out of Be'lah, but she was obviously too weakened to be the cause of it. I heard his threat to kill us if she didn't stop what she was doing, then I fell.

_Be still child. _The voice in my head gave me the warning, but it wasn't as if I had any choice, I was still frozen. There was pain in my legs from the fall, but my small size kept me from getting seriously hurt. In an instant, I was in his smelly embrace, and he threatened to drain me.

She spoke, promising to lift the spell she had cast. Then her words were gibberish, but her eyes fastened on me, and I felt suddenly in control of my own body. With the warning still in my mind, I held still.

The shaking in the cave continued, and he stumbled while holding me. I fought to remain passive, when I really wanted to fight him. He threatened me again, and Be'lah defied him! She told him every horrible truth about himself, as if she'd seen it herself. I thought for sure he would kill her for her taunting words. I feared he would kill me in retaliation, but he stood frozen in what I realized must be a very powerful spell.

_Go now, my child. _The words were a powerful command in my own head. I slipped away from the wizard, as if he'd forgotten all about me. I paused, wanting to free my friends, but the command tore through me. _GO!_

I tried to run, but the pain in my legs made me limp. Without even thinking about it, my wings unfurled, and I flew. The caverns continued to rumble and shake, but I was safe in the air. I thought to leave the caverns, and maybe try to go find my way to J'Spurr, but again the voice in my head commanded me.

_Go this way. _In the dark passages, I was guided along an unfamiliar path by that imperious command in my head. I didn't even think about disobeying, it was so powerful. When I was told to stop, I recognized where I was, and I was terrified.

The doorway to the elf's meadow glowed faintly in the hall. I remembered I'd promised myself I would stay far away from the place, but the voice in my head had other ideas.

_Go through, child. _It was the first time I was able to resist. I knew only Be'lah could open the doorway, unless the elf on the other side allowed it. I floated there, unmoving. _GO THROUGH!_

My wings fluttered, and I moved forward under the force of that command. The doorway held solid against me, but my wings beat harder, and I pressed forward. _Yes...go...now! _The door didn't open, but somehow I pressed through the magical barrier, and popped out the other side.

_ Take it in. Take it all in, my child. _I'd tried to forget how much I loved this place. I felt the magic thrumming through it. It felt like peace and home. I wrapped myself in the essence of the meadow, and breathed deeply. _Yes, that's it child. _I lost track of the time. It could have been a minute, a day, or a year that I stood there, just drinking in the magic. But I was interrupted by the elf.

"What is this? How did you get in here? You must leave at once!" I knew what to do, as the invading voice in my head became one with my own thoughts. I didn't retreat, but stepped toward the elf, even as she fell into a defensive stance. With the flick of her wrist, she sent a powerful attack my way. I felt the force of it, but absorbed it into me, letting the heat warm me. I smiled at the rush.

"Who are you?" The elf's question caught me off guard, because she knew me! I spoke, but it wasn't me. It was that presence in my mind, using my voice. It gave a name that sounded familiar, but I couldn't remember it. It claimed we were taking the power from the place, but that it didn't want to fight.

"What do you know of my granddaughter?" The elf looked so concerned.

"She is dying. The abomination must be stopped."

"If you drain this place, I'll die."

"It is necessary. The abomination must be stopped. Great sorrow your loss."

I kept thinking of the name, over and over again. The presence had taken over my body, but much of my mind was still my own. I felt the magic flood me, as the presence absorbed it in a way that scared and excited me. In the pocked of my mind that was still my own, I studied the name, broke it down, and dissected it.

I was shocked when I realized what I was dealing with, and I took my voice back. "Ny'a! Part of your name is Ny'a. My father always told me about Ny'a, the most beautiful, kind, loving, unique woman he'd ever met. You're my mother!"

_I am but a part of your mother, my child. _The voice was back in my head, though I continued to absorb the magic. _I knew I would die before ever meeting you. I wanted to protect you, and save you from the abomination. This is a memory shadow of what I was, triggered by the abomination. I left you with so much more than this. You have my memories, locked away within you. The door is open now. I love you, my precious little girl._

I blinked the tears away, and was startled at what my eyes revealed. Inside my own mind, I hadn't realized what was happening. The meadow was gone. The trees, flowers, grasses, insects, and even the great waterfall and pool were all gone. I hovered in an empty expanse of nothing. All but for the elf.

She sat in the ocean of emptiness, weeping. I walked over to her, and when she looked up at me, I reached down and took her hand. What stood before me was almost unrecognizable. She looked nothing like my friend Be'lah, in fact she looked more like a monster from a nightmare. With a raspy voice, she told me her story, as we headed for the doorway

"I told you I would die without the magic. It is what has sustained me for all these years. When the dragons E'lee A'zhar and Eh'met came through the gateway, I was the guardian. I knew how to fight dragons, but none I had met before were as big nor as fierce as these two. E'lee A'zhar breathed a cold attack at me, and I quickly learned to defend against it as we fought. I wanted to kill that dragon, but it was terrified of me and managed to escape.

"When his brother Eh'met came through shortly after, I attacked him. All dragons were the same in my eyes, and I would have killed him if I were able. I thought he was the same type as E'lee A'zhar, and I was prepared for his cold attack. Instead, Eh'met breathed fire at me. I was completely unprepared for the flames, and I nearly died. What you see now, is after I healed as much as I am able.

"I realized too late, that Eh'met is not an evil dragon. The very fact that he did not eat me when he had the opportunity, proved that to me. When he came back, I was too weak to fight him, and it was then he spoke to me. He apologized for his attack, but he was in a hurry to catch his brother, and had no better way to counter my own attacks. He told me he intended to guard the gateway and make sure his brother never made it home. I had no choice but to allow him."

We made it to the doorway, and stepped into the hall. She reached out and touched the magical barrier, and closed her eyes. I knew she was absorbing the magic that held the pocket anchored to this world. In seconds, the doorway was gone, and so was the space where the meadow once existed. The caverns rumbled, throwing us to our knees.

"Can you fly?" In answer to my question, she floated into the air. I coughed as smoke and fumes tried to choke me, and she cast a spell, allowing us both to breathe. She lead me back to the room with the gateway, and I was gratified to see Rose and May were both gone.

R'ness flew into the room, and I was surprised to see she was able to attack the figure standing over the altar. He turned and ran for the gateway, leaped into the light, and disappeared.

The elf flew to her granddaughter, but I was afraid of getting any closer. The crack in the distant floor showed the glow from the lava below, which threatened to cook us alive. The gateway appeared to be open, and I couldn't help but notice the two trails of blood had met at the top.

The caverns continued to rumble and shake, and I heard the noises of burning and destruction in the distance. We didn't have much time.

I heard a roar from the gateway, and hid as a massive form came through. The dragon was bigger than anything I'd ever seen, and I cowered behind a column as it flew past. It didn't seem interested in sticking around, and it was gone as fast as its wings could carry it. Several more dragons of various sizes and shapes, crowded through the gateway, then he came back.

The leech made the mistake of his life, stepping into the same room with me. Another dragon flew past me, but I wasn't concerned as I came out of hiding. My wings buzzed with power, and there was rage bubbling in me, like the lava I sensed pouring through the network of tunnels.

"YOU!" My voice was magnified, and it vibrated with the strength of my mother's essence, and all the power I'd absorbed. "You killed my mother!" More dragons flooded past, oblivious of me, as they sought to free themselves from the caves and the imminent eruption of the newly awakened volcano of Plaht Island. He turned my way and grinned.

"Another fairy! Come to me, I can use your power to direct my dragon armada!" I could have resisted him; I had the power within me to oppose him any way I chose. But the voice inside me whispered, _go to him._

I allowed him to pull me close. The heat was overwhelming, and I worried that my hair or wings would catch fire, but the leech wrapped me in his robe. His taunting voice in my ear chilled me.

"Your friend realized if she died, it would destroy the gateway. I have beaten her. The gateway is open, and will remain so until her death. I healed her, but she is too weak to oppose me now. You will give me even more power—just like your mother. No one can stop me now!"

_Feed him, my child. _I didn't have a choice in that, as I felt him begin to drain me. Be'lah told me of the law of consumption, and how it worked. I fed him, at first unwillingly, as he pulled everything from me. Then I felt him tap into the power I'd taken from the elf's home. His arms slackened around me, as he felt the abundance of power flowing into him.

_Feed him! Give him everything! _I listened to the sound of my mother's voice, and I drifted out of the leech's embrace. I kept up the conduit, flooding him with the magical power. I watched his body tremble and shake. His eyes fastened on me, wide and disbelieving.

"Enough! Stop this! _Please!_" He begged me, falling to his knees in sudden realization.

_More. Feed him more! _I felt him fighting to break our connection, but he was powerless against me. He was an abomination. His trembling increased until he vibrated with the power he couldn't hold. He screamed, again and again, but I had no pity for the creature.

When his inadequate human body exploded, I was splattered with gore, but a sense of satisfaction filled me. _Well done my child, now go! _I paused, wanting to save my friend and even her disfigured grandmother. _No! Go now, or you will die!_

I risked a glance at them, and saw Be'lah cradled in her grandmother's arms. They looked as if they had no intention of leaving. I fled.

I flew in the company of dragons, but I was faster and more nimble than any of them. One or two even dared snap at me, but I easily eluded them. The volcano was going to erupt, and all of us wanted out.

I only knew one way out, and I flew down the corridor, heading for the underwater cavern. But then I realized I could never escape that way. M was in the hallway, and anything that tried to pass him was incinerated. There was already a bonfire of blazing dragon flesh blocking most of the hallway. Many of the dragons made it past, but they were made of tougher stuff than my delicate wings.

I thought about asking M to help me pass, but he was the guardian of the gateway. Any distraction would allow more dragons to escape, if he even acknowledged me. No, I had to find another way. I flew back, thinking about how the island had formed, and remembering some of the old tales about how it might have erupted.

I flew to the main chamber, and there were several dragons flying in the open expanse. I wondered if any of them understood that the obsidian of the passageways and chambers came from the high heat of the volcano. I zipped to the top of the dome, realizing that lava had risen to that point. The immense dragon I'd seen come through first, was already there.

It saw me, and laughed. "Fairy in a fire." I knew the draconic language, and I answered back.

"Dragon in a volcano," It laughed again, then dropped from my sight. It came back, flying with as much speed and strength as something that size could muster. It hit the top of the dome with enough force to shake the walls, and several chunks of rock dropped.

I realized it had the right idea, and I decided to lend whatever help I could to it. _Soften the rock._ Just hearing my mother's voice made me pause. A mottled green dragon came for me. I saw its open mouth, and I tried to evade it. It stopped abruptly, as the giant dragon attacked it from behind.

"Leave the fairy alone!" I clearly understood its speech. The smaller dragon retreated, and the giant again charged the dome. Blue. Even in the dim light, I could tell its scales were blue. After listening to M tell how those dragons born and raised in the elven realm were shades of green and brown, like lizards, I knew this enormous dragon was from the dragon's own realm, and likely older than most.

I flew to the top, and touched the rock. It was solid. I didn't know how magic worked, but I tapped into the power I still felt in abundance within me. I concentrated on the rock, and making it softer. When the blue hit the ceiling again, a large chunk fell. Deep in concentration, I let the power flow from me. Three more times the dragon bashed into the ceiling, bringing down enough rock and debris, that the other dragons had moved on.

Light and fresh air hit my face. The crack was small, but I knew I had to take the chance. I heard the rumbling of the lava filling the tunnels leading to the chamber. The dragon might have more defense, but I knew I would be incinerated as soon as it reached the main chamber. I dove for the crack in the ceiling, fearing I would get stuck, and die there.

I easily cleared the gap, emerging in the sunlit audience chamber of the citadel. The place seemed abandoned, as the quakes had likely driven any remaining people away. I was about to leave, when a voice stopped me.

"What _are _you?" I turned, and saw Arrough, sitting on the kings throne, holding the crown in his hands.

"You need to leave, the volcano is going to erupt any time now!"

"I know you. You're the seer—I think." He stood and came toward me. "Everything is gone. Every one is gone. It was supposed to be mine! He promised I would be king!"

"You need to leave now, while you still have a chance." I turned to leave, but he caught my arm.

"Tell me seer, will I be king?" In his madness he squeezed my arm, digging his fingers in until I bled. I was about to predict his likely future if he didn't run, when the floor of the audience chamber collapsed, and a blue monstrosity erupted from the hole. It stood on the lip of the opening, blinking in the sunlight, then it looked my way.

Cat-like yellow eyes narrowed, and Arrough let go of me. "Climb up fairy, it's coming fast." I understood perfectly, and I snatched the crown from the magistrate's trembling fingers. I flew, and seated myself on the immense beast, and held on tight. It shot into the sky faster than any dragon I'd ever seen.

It was still nearly caught by the erupting volcano. I realized I never would have made it on my own, without the protection of his scaly body between me and the spewing lava and ash. At my bidding, we searched the island in ever widening circles from the volcano. I wanted to make sure everyone was out of danger. I couldn't help but see there were dozens, if not hundreds of dragons in the sky, and many on the ground. It was fortunate the mainland wasn't visible from the island, which likely kept them from leaving.

I was terrified of what I'd find, but I directed him to the place where Be'lah and Jheyms were to first meet. I knew that's where the dragons had fallen. What I saw took a second to grasp.

The three dragons were on the ground alright, but only one was prone—Ehd Wyrd. From the sky it was hard to tell if he was alive or dead. The three dragons made a rough circle, and about a hundred people were within that circle of protection.

The area was overrun with dragons. Some were trying to snatch the people from the circle, but most were about a half mile away, feasting on those who had already died. I had seen in one of my visions how Zhar had frozen the people. Now they were being eaten.

The blue dragon flew over the circle again, and chased the challenging dragons away. As they retreated, I got a firsthand look at his true power. He opened his mouth, and jagged bolts of lightning shot out, hitting six of the retreating beasts. Two fell from the sky, and the other four were badly injured.

The powerful dragon wheeled and flew back to the circle. He landed a respectful distance away, and I fluttered from his back. I wanted to rush to see how J'Spurr was doing, but I felt I needed to thank the dragon who had saved my life and been so helpful.

"I am Alyss, what is your name, friend?" I was a good mimic of the speech.

"I am Ghar'rett, my tiny friend. I am one like the gatekeeper, who wants to see dragons restored to their rightful home. I am happy to help you defend against these malformed lizard spawn."

"The three over there, have been magically cursed. They are really the human royal family spoken of in the prophesy." He put his nose in the air and sniffed.

"Perhaps the ash has ruined my smell, but those three are not human, they are dragon. They are dragon as surely as I am. They are not even pathetic lizard spawn, they are true." I couldn't listen to any more of his claims. I turned and flew to the circle.

The silver dragon watched me approach, but he didn't leave the circle. "J'Spurr! I'm so glad you made it! I've been so worried about you. I saw you fall—in one of my visions—and I thought I'd lost you."

"You're so tiny." His clicks and snorts sounded different. He held his dragon hand out to me, and I landed there. His claws were more immense than I remembered. "You have shrunk." I looked down at myself for the first time, and realized I was smaller. I measured myself against his claws and discovered I was about half my normal height, which wasn't much to start with. "You really are a fairy."

"I didn't even notice! What does this mean?" He sighed deeply, and a tear fell from his eye as he looked at me.

"It means you're really a fairy, and I'm really a dragon. The curse was not broken, and we're out of time." He held me up to his face. "I'm in love with someone I can never be with."

"That's impossible!" I fluttered out of his hand. "I killed Jheyms myself! I saw him die!" '

"The gateway is open. The night is over and it's too late. The curse had to be broken under the full moon. I am a dragon—we all are." I flew to Kharl, and found May clinging to his neck. She was crying.

"You made it out! I thought you were dead too. She didn't break the curse—she failed. The gateway is open, and our home is under attack. My husband is never going to hold me in his arms again, and my son..." She broke down entirely, weeping as I'd never seen her.

I flew to the bronze dragon, stretched out on the ground. The green eyes were closed, and I saw Rose near his wing. I flew to her, and hovered as she stared in shock.

"Alyss, you're..."

"I know. How is he? Is he alive?"

"He's badly injured. I've done what I can, but he won't wake up. He came around for a minute, and asked me about Be'lah. I told him what Jheyms did to her, and that she hadn't made it out of the caves... and he collapsed. His wounds should be healing, but they're not. It's as if he's willing himself to die—it's ridiculous!"

"Dragons mate for life." It was all the explanation I had.

"He won't die over this—he _can't!" _I saw the raw pain on her face when she looked at me.

"He _can."_ The dragon landed close to Ehd Wyrd and Rose, and she turned and ran to M. The way she threw her arms around him made me wonder how close they really were. She moved to check out his injuries, slathering on a tar-like salve to every bite and scratch.

"My brother, Zhar would have died over the death of his mate. It would have been kinder. But he was captured by the elves. He was tortured, and healed, over and over again. He was never permitted to die. It drove him to madness."

The island shook, as an explosion tore from the volcano. We were on the far side of the island, far away from the eruption, but we were still being covered with ash.

"M...did you see her leave? Did Be'lah or her grandmother get out?" I hated to ask the question, but I had to know.

"They didn't come past me. I left when the lava forced me out. She may have gone through the dome..."

"Nothing came after we escaped. The volcano erupted." I knew it meant she was gone. I flew back to J'Spurr in tears. I was too small to even hold him, but he cradled me in his clawed hand.

M decided that he still had a duty as the guardian, and he took to the sky, fighting the dragons Jheyms brought through. He was well outnumbered, but soon Ghar'rett joined him. It was like seeing the moon and sun in an expanse of stars. The dragons were so numerous, I knew it would be impossible for them to get them all, before they headed for the mainland and an undefended population.

"Don't cry, Alyss. I still love you." J'Spurr held me to his cheek, making his soothing noises. Just hearing his declaration made me cry harder.

"It's all _wrong!_ This isn't how it's supposed to be! The dragons are here, the volcano is erupting, the citadel is destroyed, Be'lah is dead, Ehd Wyrd may die, the curse isn't broken, and I'm a _fairy! _I don't know how to fix this. I don't even know what to do next. How can we protect all these people?" I tossed the crown I'd been holding all this time, and it landed in the ash and Kharl's feet.

**A/N: Volcanoes are extremely hot, and they come with toxic smoke, earthquakes, explosions, ash, and deadly pyroclastic flows. That these characters are messing around inside a soon to erupt volcano is pure fiction. I am sorry if it's pinging your B. S. meter. I guess if George Lucas can get away with it, I thought I'd try it. Just chalk it up to magical protection when it seems too much. **


	16. Chapter 16 Arise

Chapter 16

Arise

I opened my eyes, feeling a foulness I remembered. "You almost had me, Sorceress. I know your game, and your plan has failed." I struggled to get off the altar, but he'd again used the runes to bind me. He laughed and pointed at the gateway. "See, your blood has filled in all the gaps; the gateway is open now, and cannot be closed. You thought that by dying you could destroy the gate and me along with it, didn't you? But I've healed you, Sorceress. There's nothing you can do about it now. You can watch as my dragon hordes comes through. Don't worry, I won't allow them to eat you."

I felt the power of spellfire crackle in the room. He looked over his shoulder, suddenly alarmed. I saw the light brighten as he leaped through the open gate. A hideous, malformed creature stood at my side, and touched the runes of the altar with misshapen hands. I could again move and speak.

"My poor, poor, child. I never intended you to suffer like this. I am so sorry." I could barely recognize the rasping voice, as that of my grandmother. I was too weak to reach out to her. "I am so, so, sorry." She pet my hair with her scarred hands. "I never expected him to heal you."

"You knew this would happen. I was never supposed to defeat him, was I?" It had become clear to me, as the voice of the gateway invaded my mind. It had called me mongrel. My grandmother had bragged that my lineage came from every race on my world.

"No. You were the perfect tool to destroy the gateway. Half elf, so it would recognize and open for you, but the other half had to be completely mixed, so it couldn't adjust and attune to you. How did you know?"

"The gateway had a kind of intelligence. Its thoughts reached me, as it was dying. I knew you had to have planned this all along. I realized your true hatred wasn't for the dragons, but for the gateway."

"Yes. I underestimated you."

"You should have told me."

"I did... in a way. I told you of all I'd lost, and how helpless I was, being here where I was safe. The gateway doesn't release a guardian until another is called. It wouldn't release me, because there were no other elves willing to abandon their fight. I had to hear about everything the dragons did, through magical means. I have been stuck here for centuries! After Kithmaron's death, I hated being the guardian! I wanted nothing more than to go back home, and fight until I could join the others in death.

"The meadow became my home after I became guardian. It's a place created by the beings who created the gateways. There was a lot of power in that place, and it sustained me, even after Eh'met became the new guardian. Even after I was injured, and wanted to die, it gave me the illusion of life and health, as long as I stayed in that place. I couldn't leave; I was little more than a prisoner.

"And so you plotted against it."

"Yes—I'm so sorry." She smoothed the hair from my face.

"M did that to you?" She knew what I was talking about.

"Yes. I attacked him first."

"So what happens now? I'm not dead, and the gate is locked open. Jheyms will probably call the dragons. I should have killed him when I had the chance, but he's right, I'm not a killer."

"I am. I will try to kill him when he comes back through. I am weak, and I don't have the power of the gate behind me. Your friend Alyss..." She stopped talking when the gateway brightened, and Jheyms stepped through.

My friend Alyss stole our attention with her shout. When he drew her to him, I was too weak to stop him. He wrapped her in his robes, preventing R'ness from attacking him. I had no choice but to watch as he drained her. When she drifted from his embrace, I thought my grandmother would strike, but she held back. Then it became clear that Alyss was in control.

We all watched him beg. He'd taken Ehd Wyrd from me, and doomed me to die in the caves. He'd sacrificed our world, and he cost Alyss her mother. I wanted him to suffer. His screams—I thought I might never forget his screams. Still they pale compared to the years of my own terrified shrieks.

His death was messy. I was covered in his remains when he became overfilled with magic, and burst. My grandmother picked me up and cradled me against her, like a child. She was taller than I was, and I was practically an empty shell. I looked for Alyss, but she flitted through the door, and was gone.

"What now?" It was as if a dragon river had opened up, and they flowed through the gate, into the room, and out the door. None stopped to bother with us, as the threat of the lava pushed them on.

"We have to destroy the gate." She carried me to the opening, and set me on the floor, where I leaned against the left side of the gate. I tried the simple solution, putting my finger into the blood trail. I almost didn't get it back, and the pain was excruciating.

"We have to attack it directly with magic." We both touched the gateway, and I felt the magic flowing from me. The eighth law of destruction should have had some impact, but the gateway stood strong. I switched to the ninth law of seasons, trying to push the gate as if it were a ruin, beyond its time.

"It's not working!" My grandmother leaned heavily against the gateway, and I knew she must be exhausted. I actually felt better, since I was away from the draining effect of the altar. I struggled to stand, and swayed on my feet.

"We have to do _something!" _I knew the dragons meant the end of all human life in this realm if they weren't stopped.

_ "_We need to go, before the mountain erupts. We haven't got much time."

_ "_What about the people? The dragons will kill them all. They'll be killed and eaten. Even May, Rose, and Alyss. I cannot allow that!" I imagined my mother and father facing hungry dragons. I thought of Ehd Wyrd, and his commitment to his people. He worked so hard to protect them; how could I let his legacy die along with him?

_ "_We need to go now, Be'lah, it's too late, and we can't destroy it."

"I can." I hugged her, and kissed her ruined cheek. "I love you, Grandmother. I forgive you for all you've done."

"How can you destroy the gate?" She was bewildered by my smile.

"The fourteenth law. I know what it is now." It took all I had left within me to run from her. I heard her screams, but they were quickly drowned out by the roar of the lava. I knew my death was the only thing that would destroy the gate. She knew it too, but she seemed to have changed her mind about sacrificing me.

The heat was ferocious, and if I hadn't been running I never would have gotten close enough. My robes and hair caught fire, moments before I made the leap._ Ehd Wyrd, my love..._

* * *

The screams tore through me, raking my throat with razor claws. I couldn't stop the hideous sound, as I watched her brave sacrifice in horror. I loved her so much, and I was helpless to stop what I had put in motion. She caught fire, dashing my hopes that she could somehow change her mind and retreat. Then she leaped—no, she flew—arms outstretched as if she were flying. The glowing orange gash in the floor swallowed her whole.

She was gone.

I fell to the floor, bereft, then I slowly realized I was alone in the room. The dragons were no longer pouring into the chamber. The gateway was closed, and I sensed it was dead. As much as I'd hated it, I would have given anything to see the runes glowing, and have my Be'lah beside me. The cost was too high.

I curled into a ball and wept. The magic allowed me to breathe in the room filled with smoke. The only light came from the rising lava. The shaking and rumbling never stopped, and the heat was like that of the dragon's breath. Despair crawled into my skin, and I waited to die. I only wished I could die in my homeland.

I thought about it—the place I'd called home. It was an island like Plaht, and I knew every inch of it. I knew it so well, I could imagine I was there. A scrap of memory surfaced, and I recalled Be'lah asking me about traveling at will. I had never been able to do it, but I realized, my fear had held me back. It involved breaking the eleventh law of nature, and I knew the premise was all about intention and will.

I had nothing left to fear. She forgave me. It was all the encouragement I needed. I closed my eyes, and pictured my home. I knew the parts that would be overrun with dragons and fighters, but I dreamed of a waterfall and a meadow. It's where I'd met Kithmaron. I willed myself to be home. I knew I wouldn't need to walk, run, or fly, I had the power to make it happen. Laws couldn't hold me or keep me away after all this time. Home.

The fragrance of the flowers in place of the choking smoke, woke me. The sun was bright in a violet blue sky, and I heard water in the distance. The soft grass brushed my face, and insects buzzed near my ears. There was a heaviness in the air that I remembered from home—oh how I missed it! The very air itself hummed with magic.

I sat up, dizzy with the effort, and looked around. I couldn't believe it was possible that I was indeed home. Over a thousand years had passed, since I'd been in the meadow. I stood, still weak, but the ground didn't shake. I walked toward the sound of the waterfall, through trees heavy laden with fruit that only grew in this land.

I longed for a chance to sink my burned and aching body into the refreshing water of the pool. I stepped to the water's edge, while memory and reality intertwined in my mind. I wished Be'lah was here with me, and tears again leaked from my eyes.

A sound, like sails in the wind, drew my attention. My eyes raised to where it posed on top of the waterfall watching me. A dragon of emerald green, with its yellow wings spread wide, seemed to grin down at me. Nature was indeed a harsh teacher when her laws were broken.

* * *

I couldn't protect her. I'd broken my promises to her. I'd failed. I didn't deserve to live, and yet I still breathed. They thought I was unconscious, but I was not. I heard every word they said. I heard about her capture and her sacrifice. I knew she didn't make it out of the caves before the eruption. I knew my one and only reason for living, was buried under the rocks and lava of the mountain.

I was a dragon, fully and completely, as my failure meant she could not break the curse. I was a monster, in form and in deed. My only reason for continuing to live, was to protect the people of the island who still thought we could save them. It was only to please my father, that I placed myself between the attacking dragons, and the helpless people.

Even as they milled about in the circle of our protection, I wondered what it would be like to eat one. The thought horrified me, but there was a part of me, that tracked their movements, and longed to pounce on them. I kept my eyes closed, and thought of her.

I had no choice but to think of her, she was part of me. I dreamed in the softness of her brown eyes. Her scent taunted me, and I heard her laughter in my ears. I ached to hold her one more time—no—forever. One more time, and one more time would never be enough. Were I not so injured, I would fly to the volcano, and dive in.

The pain of my body, was nothing to the pain of my soul. My wings were broken and torn, and I remembered how she had healed me when first I'd met her. Even seeing me fully as a monster, she had compassion on me. I'd been clawed and bitten by the black, and the ragged gouges still oozed. I was burned from the spell the wizard had cast, and the fall had almost finished me. It may still. I slowed my breathing, and wished for death.

I was aware of what went on around me. I wanted to block everything out, but there was a survival instinct I seemed to have acquired, that wouldn't allow me to become unwary. As much as I wanted to sink into an eternal rest, one eye opened a tiny sliver. As I rested on the ground, refusing to heal, a creature crept up on us. It's dull brown scales blended with the lifeless vegetation around us. It made not a sound, as it crept forward on its belly.

It looked like nothing I had ever seen before. It was big enough to be a threat, but it had short legs, a thick tail, and its wings seemed inadequate to carry its body in flight. It was the sorriest excuse for a dragon I could imagine.

Its small black eyes didn't blink, as it sought to edge around my tail and perhaps attack one of the people we were protecting. Everyone else was turned away, and even the people were too preoccupied with setting up some kind of camp. No one raised an alarm.

I moved in spite of the pain. I twisted, putting my jaws between the creature and the people. It snapped at me, and its jaws were the biggest part of it. It moved quick, darting around me, into the circle. What happened next surprised us all.

I breathed on it.

I mean my mouth opened, and something came out, and the creature roared in agony. It turned to face me as the people screamed and ran to the other side of the circle, close to my father. I felt an immense force, burning in the back of my throat. I spewed it at the misshapen dragon, and watched what looked like lava explode out of me and cover the beast. It was both covered and incinerated where it stood.

I swallowed several times, but it seemed whatever it was had gone away. The stuff covering the creature was bright orange, but it cooled to a dull brown. Even before my family had gathered around, it began to disappear.

"Are you okay, Ehd Wyrd?" Mother was the first to come to me, and she sought to sooth me, petting over my scales.

"What did you do to it Ehd Wyrd?" J'Spurr was closest to me, and he poked his nose at what was left of the smoking monster. "I swear it looked like lava, but now it's just this brown goop." I looked across at my father, and he wore a solemn look.

"I've got really bad breathe." J'Spurr chuckled, but I didn't feel like laughing. The orange goop looked and acted enough like lava, it was a reminder of where she died. Thoughts of her were in my mind, and it seemed to have manifested in my body as well.

"I wonder if I can do it too?" He took a deep breathe and exhaled, but nothing happened. "I guess that's one thing you get to do first, little brother."

"It just proves I'm more of a monster than you are. You don't want this, J'Spurr." I stretched out again and laid my head on the ground.

"What kind of dragon was that thing?" Rose poked it with a stick, and a chunk flaked away in ashes. I closed my eyes again, except for the defensive slit.

"I think it's one of those hatched in the elven realm, M said they were puny and weak."

"Next to M, every dragon is puny and weak." I heard the pride in her voice, and it might have interested me before. But it seemed trivial next to the death of Be'lah. I imagined that she'd died alone, maybe hoping I'd come to save her.

"Ehd Wyrd, I've had enough of this!" Mother took hold of my ear and shook it. "You get up and start healing, this instant! I'm not going to let you just curl up and die—get up!" I opened my eyes, and they turned her way. "That's it, wake up and take care of yourself. You're my son, and I love you. I've loved you a lot longer than you and Be'lah have loved each other. You want to just die, but you'll break my heart—even now you're hurting me!" She was crying. I hated to see her cry; I always have.

"I know you loved Be'lah, and I know it hurts now. But you can't give up. Do you want to let that evil wizard win one more battle? He can't have you too! Get up and do what you have to do; show some self-respect, you are a prince, remember." That admonition had always been enough to make me do the unpleasant tasks I dreaded. It wasn't enough any more. I wasn't a prince, I was a beast. Still, she had a point about letting the wizard win one more.

I pulled myself off the ground, and allowed her to slather the salve onto my injuries. About that time, M and the big blue dragon flew overhead, chasing about a dozen smaller dragons. One of the group split off, and dove for us. With the humans huddled around my father, and the rest of us much bigger than it was, it took me a second to see its target. Rose stood just outside the circle, gazing up as M flew over.

J'Spurr acted before I'd fully realized how perilously close she was to being snatched away. My brother leaped into the sky, and plowed into the skinny green dragon, knocking it to the ground. It must have been starving, as it continued toward Rose. She saw it coming and tried to run, but she ran away from my protection, and the dragon chased.

A sliver streak flew after it. J'Spurr screeched, and the green dragon froze. J'Spurr's breath froze it! J'Spurr landed, and Rose ran back to the safety of the circle. My brother attacked the green dragon, tearing it to icy shreds. He then strutted back to the circle.

"It seems you're not the only one with bad breath, little brother." He seemed quite pleased with himself.

"Why did you attack it when it was already dead?"

"M always called them lizards, and lizards can wake up when they thaw. I didn't want to take any chances—besides, it tried to eat Rose. If anyone gets to eat her, I do. He again laughed alone. I couldn't laugh about eating Rose, since I wasn't sure how far I might go as the dragon thoughts and instincts obscured my own.

As my mother struggled to cover me in the healing salve, M landed near J'Spurr. Rose again ran to him, and he picked her up.

"I saw what you did, Prince J'Spurr. You have a powerful weapon, much like my brother's." It was hard to miss the protective way he held Rose against his chest, as his giant fingers pet her hair.

"Maybe some day you will think of me like a brother."

"Perhaps." M carried Rose to the circle, and placed her in our protective ring. He spared a glance at the dragon I'd killed.

"Ehd Wyrd did that."

"I would like to hear this story, but we are outnumbered..." He took off and joined the blue dragon in chasing the multitudes of surviving dragons. I needed to find a way to help. I felt a glimmer of purpose to my life, and the healing progressed. Now that I was fully dragon, I healed much faster.

There were too many of them. I knew eventually M and his new blue friend would tire, and the dragons would find places to hide, or take off in search of another place to live. I knew from talking to M, that our realm was very similar to the elven realm. I knew many would head toward the mainland, even if they couldn't see it.

I felt inadequate to deal with the problem, even if I could spit lava at them. We needed someplace for the people to go, but there was no place that was safe. My mind wandered to the meadow, and its protective ward, but it hurt to even think about suggesting it. It would always be _our _place.

The sun began it's descent in the sky, and I knew as soon as it was dark, it would be even harder to protect everyone who had come to depend on us. I traded places with J'Spurr in our ring, so I could speak to my father.

"There is a place we could take them..." I tried to think of a way we could take so many people. "...if they can walk along with us. It's a meadow with a river and a waterfall, but it's got a protection spell around it."

"I know the place. I've flown over it many times. I think it's about a two hour walk to the northeast. We can't travel with them at night, but maybe tomorrow..." He didn't finish—tomorrow if they're still alive.

"I'm sorry son—for everything. I feel like I've failed you. I tried to fight, but I just don't have a killer's instinct. I'm sorry we lost her. If only our new attributes had come sooner, I could have been more help."

"It's not your fault." I knew where the blame belonged. "Do you spit something too?" I'd been so involved in my own pain, I had not paid attention to what anyone else was doing.

"Mine is not like yours or J'Spurr's. I'm not sure how well I'll be able to fight these attacking dragons." He looked at the people milling about, and beckoned one fussy child to him. He put his face near the ground, and gently breathed on the little boy. The child collapsed. I thought at first he had killed him, and I was horrified. But then the boy curled up on the ground, and it was obvious he was asleep. "It lasts for hours, but I have not had the chance to test its limits."

"You have always been a good and kind king. I am lucky to have you for a father."

"I'm glad you're still my son. It looks as if your wings have healed, how many more injuries do you have? I'm worried we're going to need all the help we can get when it's dark.

"I think I could fly now. It still hurts..." I knew it would always hurt, and much worse than my tender healing wounds.

The Island shook. Everyone looked toward the volcano, wondering what had just happened, or what was about to happen. The quaking continued, and the people huddled together. We could see the column of smoke and ash spewing into the sky, but the volcano itself was hidden from us on the ground.

We all felt the concussion of the explosion and it dropped the people to the ground it shook so violently. M and the blue one circled overhead for a while, then M landed, and the blue one flew toward the volcano.

"It's another volcano! The big mountain behind the citadel just opened up, it's bigger than the first!" The blue dragon was gone for a while, but then it flew back in a hurry, and landed beside M. His language took a moment for me to understand.

"More bad news. I saw a the father of all dragons come out of that volcano, and it makes me look like a lizard. It has a huge wingspan, and it looks like it's red hot. It's flying, and it's so fast it could get here in a hurry. It looked like it was circling the volcano.

I needed to see it for myself. "Will you take my place here, and guard the people?" The blue looked at me as if I'd lost my mind. But then it exhaled and stepped near me. Close up I could see it was tired and covered in small bites and scratches.

"My name is Ghar'rett, and I would be honored to aid you so. You are of the lineage of one of our most legendary leaders." He indicated the crown still embedded in the horns of my head. My father picked up his crown, he'd left lying in the ash. That lack of caring was a testament to all he had lost.

"This means something to you?" He held it out to our new ally, who took it reverently.

"It is made from a ridge scale of a very large and old dragon. It looks black, but sparkles in the light—like legends tell he did. Legends also tell, his family alone can wear the crowns..." I didn't care to stay and listen to the legends. I was more worried about a massive dragon heading our way.

I took to the sky, as the sun began its slide into the ocean. The smoke and ash made flying difficult, but at least my wings had healed. Perhaps I would get a chance to repay the black menace for what it had done to us. J'Spurr told me it had fled the island when its master took Be'lah to the caves. I might hunt it down and have my revenge. It could kill me, but I would be satisfied with that end.

The volcanoes took up much of the east end of the island. I soon realized that being a dragon meant that the ash and smoke didn't affect me as much as it would a human or any other animal. I flew closer than was wise, and I knew that any explosion could reach me. I didn't see any dragon.

I was about to fly back when it came out of hiding from the far side of the new volcano. For a moment I thought I was imagining it. It looked a like living, breathing, _flying, _inferno. Its wingspan was easily twice that of the blue giant. It took my breath away, even more than the smoke and ash. I watched it fly with uncanny grace, and it opened it's beak and trilled a high, clear note. I realized it wasn't a dragon. It was a bird!

I headed back to tell the others what I had seen, and I heard that strange trilling song closer to me. A glance over my wing confirmed the bird was following me! It moved so fast, I knew I'd soon be overtaken. I changed my course; I couldn't lead it back to the others and put them in danger too. I flew hard and fast toward the uninhabited forests where I hunted, and the bird kept pace with me.

I tried to lose it—I flew perilously close to the ground, weaving between trees, and it mimicked me. I soared into the air, going so high I could see the red glowing, twin cones of the volcanoes below me, and it trilled and kept pace. It could have caught me easily, but instead it seemed to want to chase me.

I was tiring when I reached my hunting grounds, and the bird slowed its chase. I kept looking back, expecting it to attack me. I should have been more aware of what was before me.

I felt pain, as something crashed into my newly mended wing, shredding it with what felt like a thousand hot needles. I struggled not to fall, but I went down, spiraling like a dead leaf. The small green and brown striped dragon that attacked me held tight to my wing, with its teeth embedded in bone and hide.

I landed and tried to shake the beast off, but it raked me with its back claws, opening up my flank. It may have been small, but it made up for its size in viciousness. The wing was useless, and I fought to get a good angle of attack. I was able to twist enough, I reached its tail, and bit down hard. Its squawk of pain made it let go of me.

I spun and tried to spit lava at it, but it was faster than I thought. The ground bubbled in orange heat where it should have been. It pounced on my other wing, and tore into it. It felt like it had over a hundred teeth! My wing was torn but not broken, and I flung the little beast as hard as I could. It sailed a few yards away and landed in some underbrush. I was prepared to breathe on it when it came for me.

I didn't get the chance. Snarling, it tore out of the underbrush, showing its rows of needle-like teeth. A shadow loomed in the twilight sky, I felt a gust of warm wind, and watched as the creature was snatched up in huge talons. The bird had it, and as it flew higher, it shredded the strange dragon with claws and beak. In mere moments, the beast that had nearly killed me, was in pieces on the ground.

I worried that I was next, and I watched as it circled above. I should have hidden, but it was too impressive a sight to miss. It shimmered as it flew, the colors, bright shades of red, orange, yellow, and a touch of blue.

Even as I watched, it came under attack, by a large, serpentine dragon, with deep red scales. This monster was powerful and seemed to slither through the sky. I had to move to see the aerial combat, and I folded my torn wings against me as best I could.

I followed the sounds, and saw the two locked in a struggle. It looked as if the dragon might win out, but the wings of the bird beat against it once, and the beast crumpled. It was clearly dead, and it fell, crashing through the trees. The bird flew close, and there was no doubt it saw me. It trilled several notes, and then flew away.

I was grounded, and I walked toward the glow of the setting sun. I was alert for anything that could attack me, and I felt my wings mending. I was bothered by the lack of wildlife in what used to be a forest teeming with game. I didn't scare up one deer, and no rabbits hopped across my path. The birds in the trees were silent, and as I peered into the encroaching darkness, there was not one yellow eye looking back.

In the distance, I thought I heard the trill of the bird. I walked faster, feeling a small glimmer of hope.


	17. Chapter 17 Bird

Chapter 17

Bird

My wings healed as I walked, and even before I reached the other end of the island, I was able to fly. The light of the nearly full moon lit the sky, reminding me of the enduring curse. It also reminded me of _her. _Tomorrow would have been her birthday. Just the thought almost dropped me from the sky.

I knew they'd need me to guard the people, but I needed to see it one more time, before anyone desecrated the space. I deviated from my course to fly to our meadow. For the first time, I felt the warding as I flew through it. I landed near the pool where she swam, and felt a horrible ache within me, knowing she would never swim there again. I knew I would carry that ache with me for as long as I lived.

I left and headed back to where the people were gathered.

A bright spot of color caught my eye, and I landed to check it out. It was a dragon wing, glowing in the moonlight, and I saw other parts of it among the foliage. Something had torn through it, rending what was clearly a very large dragon.

When I made it back to my father, I was surprised to see they were still unharmed, and the sky was clear of dragons. I landed and took my place, even though M and Ghar'rett were guarding the people in my absence.

My mother immediately took note of my healing injuries, and went to work with her salve. She's the one who told me that the bird had been flying over them all evening, attacking any dragon that dared to come near them.

"I've been worried sick about you, I thought for sure that bird had destroyed you!"

"I saw it, and it chased me. But it could have easily caught me and didn't. I think it may have protected me. It attacked others that meant me harm. All this damage was done by one mean little dragon with a mouth full of teeth, that tried to eat me." Ghar'rett laughed at that.

"That's no dragon you encountered, that's a gratch. They hunt dragons, and eat the ones they catch. They followed the dragons through the gateway, I guess so they wouldn't starve. Legend says they were once dragons themselves in ages past, but changed when they began eating their own kind. Dragons do fight each other, for many different reasons, but we don't eat our own. I'm surprised you managed to escape. Once a gratch destroys a dragons wings, they usually go for the kill."

"It would have had me, but the bird destroyed it."

"That is no bird." Ghar'rett spoke up again. "I've only heard of them in legends, but I have no doubt I've seen a fi'nyx with my own eyes today. I have been around for a lot of years, and most would have said the fi'nyx was a myth. But I was there to see the last King and his Queen, and they too are thought to be myths by some."

"What is a fi'nyx?"

"The way I've heard it told, it's a bird-like creature, born of, pain, sorrow, retribution, and fire. They are said to come when the need is great, to serve as the fire of justice. When its enemy's are no more, it is said the fi'nyx gathers its loved ones and takes them home."

"Are the dragons its enemies?" I looked at my father and brother, wondering if I would lose them too.

"I am not sure. It has been flying about the island, and it has attacked and killed many dragons. But Eh'met and I have been taking turns doing the same, and it has left us alone. I can tell you, if it chose to attack me, I would not stand a chance against it."

"I find that hard to believe, you're immense, and you've got a powerful weapon."

"I didn't get this big and old by being stupid, young one. That fi'nyx would destroy me if we fought. I have seen what it can do against dragons of much higher caliber than yourself. The breath weapons don't even touch it, and..." We both stopped and looked up as the giant we were speaking of flew a slow circle overhead. It clearly saw us, and its musical trill split the air. The humans cowered and covered their ears. It flew away so fast it was hard to know where it had gone.

We watched, waited, and guarded through the night, but the bird was gone. By dawn all the people we were guarding still survived. We had a new crisis to deal with; they were alive, but they were hungry and afraid. We began the slow trek to the warded meadow, herding our people like sheep.

It tested me like I never would have expected. Their helpless movements made me itch to snap them up and eat them. I saw the look J'Spur wore, and knew he was struggling more than I was.

M and Ghar'rett circled above us, watching for distant enemies.

I spoke with J'Spurr. "You should join them, and we can take turns guarding them from the ground." I was trying to minimize the threat to the people. If he slipped, I knew I would too. He too took to the air, and I lead the group, while my father brought up the rear. In the light of day, it was easy to guard them. The slower ones climbed onto our backs to ride, and by midday we made it to the meadow.

The warding hummed against me as I carried them through. I set about marking the perimeter, so the people wouldn't accidentally step outside the invisible wards. When I returned to the group after my task, I was saddened to see the meadow was no longer the tranquil refuge it had been. Already the people had spread out, picking fruit from the trees, cutting trees and branches for shelter, and cooking fish from the stream.

J'Spurr landed lightly beside me. "I flew north a little bit, trying to scare up some game in the forests. I thought if we could eat, then we wouldn't be so tempted by _other _edibles. The people are also going to need more than fruit and fish if they're here for more than a few days. I hunted, but there was nothing: No deer, no swine, no rabbits—not even a bird or lizard. They've eaten everything, and it's only been one day!"

"I know. M told us they'd grown glutinous and lazy in the other realm. The island couldn't sustain so many dragons."

"I wonder how many tried for the mainland?"

"I don't want to think about it. Those people are unprepared for such an attack." As we spoke quietly, M and Ghar'rett landed.

"We've got trouble. There's a large number of dragons headed this way, and it it looks like they're being chased by the fi'nyx."

"How many?" I couldn't believe there could still be that many left on the island."

"It looks like about thirty or forty." M didn't look happy. We were clearly outnumbered at least six to one, and that would depend on whose side the fi'nyx took.

"I don't know if they can pass through the wards. I'd wondered if they'd keep us out now that the curse is permanent. It could be the wards have weakened over time." I was afraid we were about to see a massacre on a grand scale. "I'll get the people rounded up, and we'll see if we can defend them." I didn't have to worry about it, my mother and father were already working on gathering everyone.

I flew up above the trees, and saw them coming. They were moving slow, considering they were being chased by a dragon killer. It was at least forty, M must have missed the small ones in his assessment. As I watched, the fi'nyx flew past the approaching horde, and I realized with horror that it wasn't chasing them, but _leading _them. They were coming right for us!

I wanted to go engage them, and do what I could to keep them from reaching the people. But my father called me back.

"This doesn't change anything, Son. We still need to protect our people. Take your place, and keep watch." J'Spurr took his place, while M and Ghar'rett readied themselves to support us from the air.

The dragons came close enough that even the humans could see them. We were all surprised when they landed, dropping from the sky just beyond the trees nearest the meadow. They were outside the wards, and showing no signs of approaching. I wondered if the wards had repelled them, but I didn't think they'd come close enough.

The fi'nyx flew overhead, circling, and trilling a call that sounded like music. I listened to it, and felt unexpectedly hopeful, and a spark of joy grew within me. My family was also looking up, and I could see similar emotions in the set of their eyes, if not on their draconic faces. The call seemed to have some kind of magical effect.

I hummed along to the sounds of the melodic trilling. It felt familiar, and then I recognized the song. It was the song I'd played for Be'lah!

I left my post and leaped into the sky. I flew toward the fi'nyx, and it stopped the circling. It's wings beat gently as it hovered, and I faced the great bird, hovering myself.

"Be'lah, is that you?" I longed for my human speech, as the bird blinked its black eyes at the question. It flew again, leaving me behind. I chased after it as it circled wide over the meadow. I was faster than most dragons, but it was so much bigger and stronger, that I struggled to keep up. Then as I watched, it went through a series of aerial contortions, twisting and turning as it flew low over the trees. I followed it, mimicking its movements, until I could predict what it would do, and we flew in perfect synchronization.

The creature clearly knew me, proved by both the song, and the way it moved in a pattern of flight few dragons would attempt, but one I'd done many times. It pulled out of its low flight, and headed back to the meadow, still trilling that song I'd played only for her ears. It swooped up over the trees, and headed higher into the sky. I was right behind, going so high the island seemed to disappear below us.

From that height, the fi'nyx appeared to be scanning the island, but nothing moved below, except the volcanoes, which continued to erupt and spew smoke and ash into the sky. Then it dove.

It seemed to drop from the sky, hurtling to the ground with its wings folded. The music was gone, and as I watched, it appeared to catch fire. I felt the heat it gave off, even as I struggled to keep up. It burned with flames as bright as its plumage, and the ground rushed up to meet us.

"Be'lah!" I was panicked, and knew that somehow that fiery bird was the one I loved with all my heart. I finally had to pull up so I didn't crash into the meadow myself. It didn't stop, but splashed into the pool of water where she used to swim.

I quickly landed on the sodden ground and rushed to the edge of the pool. The enormous fi'nyx was gone, as if the flames had been doused with the water, and there was nothing left.

"Be'lah!" The dragon speech didn't express the anguish I felt. I crouched at the edge of the pool, trying to see into the murky depths. I was about to wade into the water, when Alyss joined me.

"Hold on, I'll go in and look." I didn't know if the little fairy could swim, but her wings folded tight to her back, and she dove into the water. I waited for an eternity, straining to see below the surface. The water rippled, and Alyss bobbed to the surface. I felt as if my heart was being crushed; she was alone.

"I've got her—help me get her out!" She pulled a slack, white hand out of the water, like the weight was more than she could handle. I reached out and wished again to be human. My claws looked monstrous wrapped around the slender wrist. I pulled, and my Be'lah came up out of the water, lifelessly limp. I deposited her on the ground as gently as I could, and Alyss unfurled her wings to hide her naked body from casual view. I couldn't hear her breathing.

Alyss was kneeling by her side, murmuring words I couldn't understand. She placed her tiny hands on her, and I felt the power of the magic, even where I stood anxiously waiting. Be'lah spit a mouthful of water out, coughed, and gasped for air.

My mother came running and covered her with a blanket, though I had no idea where it came from. Be'lah was alive, but she still didn't wake up, and even under the blanket, she shivered.

"How is this possible?"

"Is she the fi'nyx?"

"Was she inside it?"

"Didn't she die in the volcano?"

"What happened to the fi'nyx?"

"Is she going to live?"

"Why does she look cold?"

In spite of Alyss' wings, we were surrounded by curious, questioning people and dragons.

"Everyone back up and let her rest!" Only my family understood my speech, but the curious villagers backed away at what sounded like a roar to them. I scooped her up from the wet ground, and cradled her in my hand. She'd always said I felt warm to her, and I held her against my chest, and breathed warm air into my palm.

Little by little she stopped shivering. I stood amid the curious, just listening to the most beautiful sound I could imagine—her breath. She moved in my hand, pulling the blanket tight around her, and snuggling against the pad of my thumb. She was asleep.

I moved over to the protective circle of my family, just as Ghar'rett shared his news.

"I went to see the dragons that came with the fi'nyx. They're not here to attack, they're here to surrender. It seems they've got some idea that the prophesied one will lead them home."

"I thought the prophesy was only for the humans?" Alyss had to fly just so she wouldn't be overlooked. "_The dragons come for the great bird, only in losing her life will she gain her future, only in her future can the people be free. The dragon will seek her for his own, and the white wizard seeks her blood to open the gateway, and evil shall descend upon the great bird. Only when all hope is lost will hope be found. _ I've known the prophesy since I was a child. What does it have to do with the dragons?"

Ghar'rett looked at her tiny form. She was no bigger than his eye. "Dragons have their own laws and history, as well as legends and prophesies. The one they speak of is, about a great leader who will take them to their home. I never thought much of it myself, because when I heard it, we were still in our own realm. That will always be home to me. There are those who believed that there was a better place, and this leader would lead us there. It's the reason so many followed the human wizard, and came through the gateway." He tossed his head, indicating the dragons that had landed beyond the trees.

"Those dragons over there are like me, they just want to go home. They believe the fi'nyx can lead them home, and so they followed her."

I was confused about their goals. "I thought you all went through an unguarded gateway to get to the Elf realm? Why not just go back that way?"

"The gateway wasn't completely unguarded. The guardian was old and weak. He didn't want a fight with dragons, and allowed us all to pass through. But in retaliation for our trespass, he turned the gate into a one-way conduit after we left. We couldn't go back through, even if we tried."

"So, how are you supposed to get home?" I held her closer to my chest, expecting his answer. He pointed with one sharp talon at my treasure.

"The fi'nyx will guide us. _The dragons come for the great bird; the dragon will seek her for his own._ Ehd Wyrd, make no mistake, _you _are a dragon now." He laughed, a deep rumble in his chest. "You are the fulfillment of prophesy." I turned away from his words, but caught the look in my fathers eyes. He believed Ghar'rett.

I carried her away from them, to a quiet place where I could open my fingers and gaze at her. She lived. She was so tiny and fragile, and yet I knew she had a power and strength within her. They knew it too. I wanted to hold and protect her, even though I knew I could not. It was no different than when we were faced with the white wizard, I could not save her from her destiny.

I held her, just watching the way she moved and breathed. When others tried to question me, or gain my attention, I warned them away. I didn't even want my mother near, though she was worried about Be'lah. For the hours she slept, she was mine.

The sun moved across the sky in a smoky haze. Occasionally we would hear the rumble of the volcanoes, and the ground would shake. The people milled about, confident they wouldn't come under attack. The surrendered dragons stayed outside the protective wards. Still she slept.

Dusk came, along with the news from M and Ghar'rett, that there didn't appear to be any more hostile dragons on the island. They didn't overlook the idea that there could be some in hiding, but they didn't find any as they scoured the island. Ghar'rett seemed pleased, asserting that the fi'nyx had killed them all. I only worried that many had escaped to the mainland.

In the dark, the people settled down to sleep, and I watched over my girl. I worried that she was sleeping too much, but she turned in her sleep several times to reassure me that it was only sleep that claimed her. I wondered if she would have nightmares like she had before, but hour after hour she rested peacefully.

With the dawn I realized I too had dozed. I awoke, wondering if she'd stirred during the night. I hummed our song to her as she slept. The volcano made the ground rumble one more time, and I turned to make sure the people were okay.

"Don't stop singing, it's beautiful." I turned back to her, as she sat up and stretched. She opened her eyes, and my heart melted. I held her up close to my face, gazing into her brown eyes.

"Are you okay, Be'lah?"

"I was afraid you wouldn't know me. I was afraid you wouldn't be the same. I'm sorry I couldn't break the curse, Ehd Wyrd." Two tears dripped from her eyes and landed in my palm.

"It's not your fault, I was the one who couldn't protect you."

"You were never supposed to. I wasn't supposed to live. My grandmother... she planned for me to destroy the gate—with my death. The only way I could have broken the curse, was to kill Jheyms before he knew about the gate. I didn't have the power then. Without her teaching, I couldn't have hoped to win against him. I'm sorry Ehd Wyrd, I should have destroyed him when I had the chance. But I thought..." Her voice hitched, and she wiped away her tears. "...I thought you were all dead already. I thought the least I could do was destroy the gate, since I didn't want to live anymore."

"Shh, no more talk of death and dying. We're here and you're alive. I don't know how that's possible, but it's more than I could have hoped for."

A squeal and a blur warned of the arrival of Alyss. She Barreled into Be'lah, and wrapped her in a fierce hug, almost toppling her from my hand.

"You're back! And you're alive, and how in the world did you turn into that—_bird_?" I held them both in my hand, waiting for the answer myself.

"I don't know. All I remember, is after you killed Jheyms, the dragons kept pouring through the gateway. Jheyms had locked it open with my blood, but then he healed me, so it wouldn't be destroyed. I had to stop it. My grandmother didn't want me to die, and she wouldn't tell me what I needed to do. But I knew. I could have stepped through the gateway and lived with the elves. It would have left this world at the mercy of the dragons. I couldn't do that." She looked right at me then.

"I knew how important the people are to you. I knew I had to protect them—for you. I ran, and jumped into a lava river... that's all I remember." Her words stole the air from my lungs. She had tried to kill herself, thinking it was for _me! _

"No! Never, ever, ever do something like that again! I can't bear the thought that you would kill yourself for me!"

"Not just for you, Ehd Wyrd, but for the people you love."

"I love _you_, Be'lah. It was killing me to think you died."

"I didn't die, it's the fourteenth law of magic—absolute good—sacrificial love. Jheyms was surviving because of the thirteenth law—absolute evil—murderous hate. My magic had to be equal to his, for balance. He released the dragons, I opposed them."

"You this would happen?" Alyss was again questioning her.

"No. I just knew I had to close the gateway. I knew there was magic in love, I just didn't know how it would work. I wish I could remember how it happened. The first thing I remember after I jumped, is fighting to be free of the volcano so I could breathe."

"So you have all those memories? Why didn't you tell us it was you?" Alyss was asking her questions before I was able to put them together with my own speech patterns.

"I didn't really know who I was then. It was both me, and something else too. I had a sudden urge to cleanse the area of the evil. I could feel it all around me, and I could see it so clearly, it was like it glowed. I could fly, and I knew I had to find these evils and destroy them. It clouded my thinking, and overrode my will.

I destroyed the first dragon that came close enough to see me. It was like one minute there was this taint in my sight, and then it was gone. Three more came and were also destroyed. I found several in the water, where they tried to hide from me. I vanquished them all.

"I saw the great blue dragon. I glimpsed it from a distance, and I was about to chase it down and end it. But it was not evil. I let it go, and rested on the mountain. The fire, ash and smoke didn't bother me. I knew I had a lot of evil to fight.

"Then I saw you." She looked at me again. "You were a glimmering speck in the setting sun, and I knew I had to see you closer. I didn't know who you were in that moment, only that I had to reach you. I chased you, and you tried to evade me, which is impossible. I knew you weren't evil, but I couldn't resist following you. When you stopped, I knew I couldn't attack you, and I could sense your fear, and your sadness.

"You landed, and I let you go. Then I saw the evil that attacked you. It was fast, and I was too late to keep you from being hurt. I destroyed it, then flew off to make sure there was nothing else that could be dangerous to you.

"I saw the gathering of people, and the dragons that watched over them. None of them were evil, and I realized we were of the same purpose. It seemed like with every dragon I destroyed, the more I could remember who I really was. I fought to remember, and I knew that I should know the dragons I was helping. It was as if the compulsion to destroy evil was overriding my own memories and my very identity."

"What about the song?" I didn't want to interrupt her, but I had to know about the one thing that made me believe the fi'nyx was Be'lah. She smiled and blushed.

"At first, I only knew that when I saw you it made me happy. I felt this hope and joy inside me, even though I didn't understand it. The noise that came out of me, made me remember tiny fragments of myself, and little by little I was able to remember the song. I couldn't form the words of course, but the song echoed in my memory as something very important to me.

"I worked long and hard to vanquish every bit of evil I detected on the island. Then I found a group of dragons that had assembled, and they were not evil. I was going to leave them alone, but as I flew away, they followed me. I could understand their beseeching cries for help and guidance. I was afraid of abandoning them, since this island has very little food now." She paused in her story, and looked at me in confusion.

"Ehd Wyrd, they think I can lead them home!"

"Not you—the fi'nyx." I wasn't even aware he was so close, but Ghar'rett's voice startled her. I wanted to clutch her against my chest and protect her from what he was saying. She turned to listen to what he had to say. "It is part of our own prophesy, that we would seek the great bird, and be lead home."

"NO!" She grew suddenly angry. "I refuse to be drawn into one more prophesy! Find someone else—I've already given too much. I just want my life back. This infernal prophesy has already cost me too much!"

"You might want to reconsider that stand." Ghar'rett looked concerned as he faced my tiny treasure. "Those dragons out there are patient, and possess great restraint. But they will not wait forever. If they lose hope, they—_we_—will fly away to the mainland and other parts of your world. Maybe they will continue to be no threat to the human populations of this world. But maybe they will tire of living so far from their home, and being considered monsters. How many of those great beasts do you think it would take to decimate your world? Can you really afford to turn your back on them? And what about your friends, who are now fully dragon?"

"GO! Leave us in peace!" My roar startled Be'lah, and Ghar'rett heeded my warning. Alyss flew away as well. His words had the power to hurt as much as his lightning breath. He left us, and my girl broke down in tears. I longed to hold and comfort her, but that choice was lost to me. As overjoyed as I was to find her alive and well, it was a bitter truth that I could not love her as a man. I had no tears, though I wished to weep along with her. I would have to let her go, she was lost to me.

"Ehd Wyrd." It was my mother trying to get my attention. "We're all gathering to talk about what we're going to do next. Can you bring Be'lah and come to the clearing so we can all talk? Oh, and I found something for her to wear." She held out something, and I snagged it with a claw. My girl seemed grateful to have something to wear, and I turned away as she dressed.

The clearing was just outside the wards, and even a handful of the islanders joined us as we met with the dragons that had followed the fi'nyx.

The first thing that almost ruined our fragile peace, was that the dragons wanted to know what we'd done with the fi'nyx. They didn't believe the tiny girl I held in my hand, was actually the fierce ruler of the skies they'd hidden from. Ghar'rett tried to explain that she had changed, but they wanted some kind of proof.

If there wasn't so much danger from having them let loose on us and our people, I would have been happy to see them go away disappointed. She didn't want to be a part of the prophesy, and I didn't want her to be in danger.

An argument broke out between Ghar'rett and a brilliant orange dragon that seemed to have stepped into a position of leadership. The dragons behind the orange one were growing more and more quarrelsome as Ghar'rett insisted Be'lah was the fi'nyx.

When she left my hand, she had my full attention, as she flew away from me. I fought not to call her back or snatch her out of the air, and away from danger. She sailed over the heads of the humans, and came face to face with the orange monster. She flew up close to its blunt snout, and laid her hand against its scales. Her words were quiet, but we could all hear.

"Peace. I know you are a noble creature, Aniha'tole. The others rely on your calm and your good judgment. You saved them from certain death at my hands. It would be foolish to believe your eyes alone in this matter. Could a mere bird slay a dragon, no matter how large? Was it size and strength alone that destroyed them? Ask yourself, if I am not the fi'nyx, then would I dare to do this?" She turned her back on the beast, and perched on the ridge jutting from its chin. It could easily snap her in two before any of us could save her.

"Be'lah please!" She scared me with her daring.

"Relax Ehd Wyrd, Aniha'tole doesn't eat meat, she's an herbivore." I'm not sure what was more surprising; that the dragon didn't eat meat, that it was female, or that Be'lah knew these things. The orange dragon dislodged my girl with her abrupt laughter.

"All true. Either you are one powerful, trusting, _lying_ witch, or you are indeed the fi'nyx."

"Either way, let's get past this squabbling, and figure out what to do and where to go from here." Be'lah never did deny or confirm who she was. I secretly wondered if the fi'nyx was gone for good—I hoped it was.

The meeting lasted well into the hottest part of the day. The dragons wanted Be'lah to leave immediately to lead them back home. The people wanted to find a way to the mainland, and my parents wanted to get started on assessing the damage to the island, and make plans to begin rebuilding. M wanted to hunt down his brother, and Ghar'rett wanted to chase down any dragons that might have made it to the mainland. It was Be'lah who helped us decide what to do.

"We all need to go to the mainland. Queen May and King Kharl, you need to go too, even if you want to rebuild, it's going to take help and materials you can't find here. There are no ships to take everyone. There are a few fishing boats, but it would be very difficult to cross the ocean in one.

"Once on the mainland, we should be able to get the people someplace safe. M and Ghar'rett can see if there are dragons that made it across, and then they can make sure Zhar is no threat. Once we take care of the immediate needs, we can decide how best to get these dragons back to their home."

"You forgot one little detail." Rose had her arms crossed. I wasn't sure if she was skeptical, or irritated everyone was listening to Be'lah instead of her and my parents. "How are we crossing the ocean with this group?"

Be'lah smiled, clearly she had been waiting for the question. "The dragons are going to fly, and the people are going to ride the dragons."

Immediately an argument broke out. The dragons protested they were not beasts of burden, and the people claimed they couldn't ride the dragons, even if they were not afraid of being eaten. My father tried to point out how far away the mainland was, and the dragons pointed out that they were weakened and had not eaten.

She listened to the arguments, then spoke softly. "As the _fi'nyx_, if that's what you want to call it, I would be strong enough to carry all the people. We would have to find something for them to ride inside, and they wouldn't be comfortable. I also couldn't guarantee their safety. If I saw an enemy dragon, I believe I would be compelled to fight it. They could all be lost to the sea if I should drop them. You need to consider trusting these dragons." She turned to face the dragons.

"You need to consider building a reputation of good will and trust among the humans of this world. You are the outsiders here. Even if they pose no challenge to you, if you have to fight them, it will change who you are. Next time the fi'nyx flies, it might not look upon you with favor." They clearly got her warning.

"Perhaps I can help." Little Alyss flew up next to Be'lah. "I know the dragons are tempted to eat the people, even if they have decided they will not. And the people are afraid of trying to ride the dragons, and of being eaten." She held up an empty coconut shell. "With a little adaptation, the people could ride in these. We can make them big enough to hold someone securely, and close them up inside. Then they won't be a temptation, they won't have to hold on to a moving dragon, and even if they were dropped, they would be cushioned inside, and the shells would float."

No one seemed to believe her, until Be'lah helped her with the demonstration. Alyss had clearly absorbed a lot of magic, and she was the one who touched the shell and caused it to grow. Be'lah lined the shell with a soft material that looked like silken strants. She cast a glowing sphere of light on the other half of the shell, then climbed inside. It looked like a comfortable little bed, and Alyss closed her up inside, sealing the edges. With a tiny motion of her hand, the sphere floated.

"Ehd Wyrd, catch!" A flick of her wrist sent the sphere toward me, and I caught it. "Can you smell her?"

"Of course. I am attuned to her scent. But it is much easier to resist her like this. Can she breathe?"

Alyss laughed at the question. "Of course, this is magic, not a death sentence. If we don't dispel the magic, it will wear off in a full day. That should easily give us enough time to reach the mainland." With another wave of her hand, a rope was attached to the shell. "If it's too much to carry the shells, they can wear them around their necks. The people will be safe, and the dragons will be free to fight, swim, or even fly those crazy patterns you seem to enjoy.

"Can you let her out now?" Alyss laughed at my question, and waved her hand. The shell popped open, and Be'lah stretched and smiled up at me.

"You could have left me in there longer. It's so comfortable, and I'm still a little sleepy." She looked at the shell as she stepped out. "You know, it might be a good idea to have the people sleep inside the shells. Then they won't be panicked, or worry about eating and other personal habits."

We had a plan, and it was decided we would leave at sundown. The people would sleep as they were carried to the mainland, and each dragon would carry two or three. It gave us time to prepare, and Alyss and Be'lah went about preparing the shells the people collected.

As the sun set, my father put the people to sleep with his whispered breath. Be'lah, alyss, and rose would stay awake and ride with me, J'Spurr, and M. My mother chose to sleep, as she had been awake for so long, worrying over everyone else.

In the light of the nearly full moon, the dragons launched themselves from the cliffs, carrying their strange cargo. Be'lah rode on my back as I leaped into the air.

"Happy Birthday, Beloved, I did not forget. I hope we will have a chance to celebrate when there are not so many worries."

"I'm beginning to wonder if that time will ever come." I didn't know how to answer her as we flew. I was afraid she was right.


	18. Chapter 18 Mainland

Chapter 18

Mainland

We were a strange group as we flew across the ocean. King Kharl lead the formation, as he was a strong flier, and yet he wouldn't go so fast as to lose the rest. We felt it was important to keep everyone close together, so no one got separated.

I rode on the back of Ehd Wyrd, clinging to the scales. I could remember flying, with my wings catching the air as I soared effortlessly. I had a lot of time to think as we made our crossing, and the memories of being the fi'nyx were getting clearer. I knew there was powerful magic at work within me, just as my grandmother had said so many times. I knew that the fi'nyx was born because of great need, and I felt much of that need had passed.

I held on to a valiant hope that I would never see this part of myself rise up again and take over. But just like the dreams of facing the white leech and his dragon, I knew I had not seen the last of the creature that shared my heart.

As we flew, I remembered what I'd seen through its eyes. I remembered that I could clearly see the hearts of good and evil within the people and the dragons. Of the dragons there were some who were truly good and noble, and some that were more gray. Any who bore the dark taint of evil, I destroyed.

It was with these eyes that I had seen Ehd Wyrd for who he truly was. His essence was a shining white, and the only one who shined brighter was that of King Kharl. I still had this ability, even though I was no longer possessed by the creature. I could still see the various shades of those around me. It was a good group we lead to the mainland, and I worried about how they would be received once we got there.

When the mainland came into sight, we were attacked by six great dragons. They had hidden among the rocks and reefs as we flew over, and they arose to attack us from behind. Ehd Wyrd and J'Spurr were bringing up the rear of the group, along with some of the smaller and weaker dragons. They so thoroughly took us by surprise, that Ehd Wyrd was already injured before we even saw them. His ridge scales protected me from the small shards of glass the dragon somehow breathed at us. He suffered dozens of small, nasty cuts, and several tears to the membrane of his wings.

J'Spurr was attacked by a dragon that tore into him with claws and teeth, then became invisible before he could counter attack. One of the smaller dragons was pounced on by a mean little brown dragon, and I watched in horror as it lost the precious cargo tied around its neck. The two dragons fought a midair combat, and both crashed into the ocean.

Ehd Wyrd spun to face his attacker, and I was tossed off in the move. It took me a second to remember how to fly without wings. I'd dropped down enough that I was vulnerable to the attack of the snake-like yellow dragon. Before I could even scream, I was wrapped in it's tail, and being squeezed. I couldn't breathe, and I thought for a moment I would die.

I sensed the essence of the beast as a dark black, and I realized it had fed upon elves—I knew this as a certainty—as if I could smell them on its breath. It was the second law of death I called upon. I didn't need to make a move or even a sound, as the magic flowed from me. The beast felt the pain and was confused, as its flesh turned necrotic where it touched me. It thought to release me, but I took hold of the tail, and continued the spell. When it twisted around to bite me, I had my shield ready, and it couldn't touch me.

I wasn't the same sorceress Jheyms had attacked. I couldn't kill him with my spell, because I wasn't a killer. But I was now, and I redoubled my efforts to take out the enemy of my people. Again and again it twisted and tried to bite or claw me, but I easily blocked it. Finally the death spell reached its wings. It stopped flying, and dropped. Before it hit the water, the death spell stopped its heart, and I let it go as the ocean claimed its body.

Since I was already so far from the rest of our group, I searched for the two fighting dragons, and the dropped shells. I wanted to rush back and help Ehd Wyrd, but I had to trust that he and the others could take care of the four remaining attackers. The odds were in their favor.

I sensed a presence, before I could see it, and I barely had my shield up in time. The invisible dragon had followed me, and its essence was so foul I could feel it. Even with the shield, it sent me flying with the impact of the blow. It came for me again, and I sent a bolt of magic toward it's black heart. Its scream told me I'd scored a hit, but it wasn't enough to kill it.

It didn't seem to know I could tell where it was, and it didn't bother to vary its attack as it came for me again. The spell I cast, was one from the sixth law. I had learned that some of the spells I'd once considered evil, were the best ones to use _against _evil. It wasn't fear I used, but pain. It came so close, I touched it, and felt the filth of its evil. It was so bad, I felt momentarily ill and wanted to retch. This one was the leader. This one had lead the other five from the realm of the dragons, because it wanted to hunt the elves.

I made it hurt. I knew the pain I sent it, because I'd felt it myself. It was the pain of burning—cooking in liquid rock—that I subjected the evil beast to, as it shrieked and writhed in mid-air. It fell from the sky, in too much agony to even flap its wings. It hit the water and I dove in after it. It wouldn't escape me that easily.

In the water, I was in command. I could see it clearly, as it displaced the water around it. It sank like an invisible stone, and I dove deep to reach it. I no longer considered the eighth law of destruction to be evil—it was serving good. I reached the dragon, and before it could recover from my last spell, I attacked it again. I put enough force behind the spell, the dragon wasn't just destroyed, it exploded. I could see all the pieces, as it became visible in death.

I swam for the surface, realizing that I wasn't struggling for air. I took a deep lungful as soon as I came up, and knew what it meant to be a water elf. I couldn't breathe under water, but I could hold a breath much longer than I ever did before.

I was surrounded by dragons. All of those on our side had gathered around me, and they were hovering as I came up from the water. Ehd Wyrd pushed his way from the crowd, and scooped me up in his mitt.

"I was so worried about you! I was too busy to help you with the serpentine dragon, but then I lost sight of you. It was J'Spurr who told me the invisible one might have gone after you. He couldn't fight it, and by the time everyone came back to help, it was gone. Where is it, we can all fight it now."

"I killed it."

They stared at me like they couldn't believe what I'd said. Even as they looked around, expecting the dragon to come out and attack, pieces began to float to the surface. Aniha'tole scooped up a draconic foot and held it up in the light.

"You killed a glistening by yourself? I will never again doubt that you are the fi'nyx."

"What's a glistening?" She looked at me, again awestruck.

"You know of course that dragons are magical creatures. A glistening is a dragon that has warped its magic for evil purposes. To be unseen is a great advantage in hunting, but it is also cowardly. Glistenings use this magical ability for sneak attacks. They are assassins among dragons, and they have no heart or soul. They are a perfect example of the corruption that was infesting our realm since the king and queen left. It's nearly impossible to kill one by yourself. They often manage to kill their targets without leaving any evidence of what they've done. Most can't see them, and even fewer can hear them. Even if they could, they're extremely tough and resilient."

I didn't want to tell them that these dragons were no challenge for me. As soon as they determined that all the dragons had been slain, I climbed between Ehd Wyrd's shoulders and we were off again. The two passengers the smaller dragon had carried were rescued, and Ehd Wyrd's wounds were already healing. J'Spurr had suffered a serious injury from the glistening, but Alyss had taken care of it.

"We need to talk." I was startled when Alyss flew from J'Spurr to me. She perched on one of Ehd Wyrd's scales, and faced me. I was startled to see just how small she had become. "Are you aware of just how much has changed since the fight with Jheyms?"

"You're a fairy." I wasn't sure what she was trying to say, but it was quite obvious to me that everything had changed.

"That's not what I'm talking about. King Kharl doesn't have his citadel anymore. They've lost their land, at least until they can start rebuilding. All the people who fled from the dragons over the years, have been waiting for a chance to go back home, and now they'll have to wait even longer. Queen May can still rule, and Rose after her, but the people may not follow them, with no king in evidence.

"J'Spurr tells me the people have been settling in the kingdom along the coast of the mainland, and considering what they face when they go back home, some of them may choose to stay. This curse... it's taken more from them than just their human bodies."

"I'm aware of that, Alyss. You couldn't make me feel worse about not breaking the curse..."

"I'm not trying to make you feel worse, Be'lah, I know you did everything you could. What I'm trying to say is that we need to figure out what to do from here. This isn't just about getting out of the ash and smoke, it's about the future of the people of Plaht Island. Someone needs to make some decisions about the future."

"Why are you coming to me with this? King Kharl is the one you should be talking to."

"Take a look around you, Kharl and May might be the king and queen, but it's you everyone is looking to for leadership. These dragons wouldn't have followed the king and queen to the mainland, and the royal family wouldn't have gone to the mainland without your insistence."

"You make it sound like I've got some kind of plan, Alyss. Well, I don't. I just want to get everyone someplace safe. If we keep the dragons together, then maybe we can keep them from eating people. Maybe we can keep the people from trying to kill them. But I really don't know what to do beyond that."

"Maybe I can help." She looked excited, and even though she was sitting, her wings fluttered. "I've got an idea—it's a little dangerous, and it might not work out, but it just might!"

"What is it, Alyss?" I could tell she had a plan, and it was obviously something she'd been thinking about quite a bit.

"Well, I've got my mother's memories in my head now. I mean it's not as if I'm becoming two people or anything, I'm able to separate them from my own thoughts. But there's a lot of information I've been seeing. I think I know how we might be able to help the dragons get back where they belong." I had to keep encouraging her, and I cued her to keep going.

"It's the gateway to Fey, I think it's still active, and I think we can find it and use it. The gateways connect the different realms, and I think if we go through to Fey, I know how to find the gateway to the dragon's home; it's one of my mother's memories. If that one won't work, then I also know how to find one to take us to the realm of the elves. At least there the dragons won't be a threat to your world."

"I won't lead them back there; this is my world, but those are my people too. A lot of dragons came through the gate, and we killed most of them. It might be enough to give the elves a little peace. I won't take these dragons back there. No matter how decent they are, that place isn't for them. All of these were from nests in their own homeland, and from everything I've seen, those dragons hatched in the elvish realm are nothing but monsters."

"So, we won't use the gate to the elvish realm, we'll find the gateway to the dragon's own realm. We could also look on this world for one; I'm sure it has to exist somewhere. My mother didn't know where any other gates were on this world. They've been hidden well here, because humans are not usually powerful enough to access them. I could probably find them if I had the time to look, but I'm not sure these dragons would wait. I do know—at least I _think_ I know—how to find the draconic gateway from Fey."

"_If _we can find and use the gateway from here."

"It takes a lot to destroy the gateways, as you know. I think it's still there... I can sometimes feel it calling me when I sleep."

"Didn't you say this was under water now?"

"It is. It's also invisible. But you could see the invisible dragon, so maybe between the two of us, we can locate it."

"The ocean is pretty big..."

"But I know the area where it used to be. There are other sea stacks there. I don't think the water's very deep either." She clearly thought we had a good chance at finding it, but I wondered if we'd be able to use it, even if we located it. She seemed to think we could. It was better than any plan I could come up with, so I agreed with her.

I still wasn't sure that running off to find a way to get the dragons back home was what we should do. I had a strong desire to go after the dragons that had escaped, including Zhar. It seemed there were more important things to do than to go hunting for a gateway and more trouble.

When we made the mainland, King Kharl lead the group to an open plain, far from any civilized area. It was there we made plans. The people had to be freed from their shells, and when we opened them, they were all still sleeping peacefully, including the two who had been dropped. The dragons organized to go hunt, and they were all warned not to go after people or livestock. I was surprised when the three dragons of the royal family went with them.

When they were gone, Rose told us that we would lead the people to a village that the inhabitants of the island had built in the last couple years, when the dragons started "eating" maidens. She had flown over with her father, and spoken with the king of the country a few years ago, and he'd agreed to allow them to settle there. He'd even agreed to waive the taxes for their first year. Once we were there, a message would be sent to the king, and he would come to meet with them.

The village was only a half a day's travel, and I was surprised to hear the people grumbling, and wishing for the dragons to ride on. They had come to trust them. We reached the village even before the dragons returned from their hunt.

There was a mood of celebration, as the people reunited with family and friends. There was also a lot of curiosity and awe over the presence of the queen and princess. In no time, they were presented with suitable clothes for their stature. Even I was given a fine robe, when they explained that I was a great sorceress—a claim I tried to refute.

Still, it was Alyss who stole their attention, even though she tried to hide her wings. She was the one who sent a magical messenger to find the king of the land, and let him know the Kellan family had arrived. They looked at her as if she were something out of a fairy tale—which she truly was to them. Many of them remembered when she was the seer of the island.

The villagers wanted to know what had happened to their homeland, and there were many who wept over lost homes, and lost friends and family. They all wanted to know when they could go back, and start rebuilding.

When the dragons returned, they stayed away from the village, except for the royal family, M and Ghar'rett. The people who remembered the terror of the dragons, hid in fear, while the last of the refugees greeted them with confidence, as they stood on the main road through the village.

"I guess between the two of us, we should be able to change them all into humans for a little while." Alyss' suggestion reminded me that I could indeed change Ehd Wyrd with magic, even if the curse was not broken. I stared at her smiling face, realizing that was the reason she had not lamented J'Spurr's permanent change into a silver dragon. She had fairy magic now, and she could likely turn him into anything she desired, including a small fairy mate.

I felt hope within me, that I too could turn my Ehd Wyrd back into the man he was supposed to be. It wouldn't be permanent, but I thought that I could cast the spell every few days and we could be a couple. We could live out some of the dreams we'd had before the curse became permanent.

"I do not understand why you would waste your magic on such an endeavor." It was Ghar'rett who peered over our shoulders as we discussed the spells necessary to make the changes. "Have you not been paying attention? Dragons are magical creatures themselves. Once they reach the age of naming, they can choose their own aspect."

"What's the age of naming?" I was confused by what he was saying.

"You really do know little about us." I got the feeling he was laughing at me. "I am surprised M has not shared this with you, as he is almost as old as I am. The age of naming, is at least a hundred years after the dragon's birth. It's when we come into our own wisdom, and some are given a new name that is unique and will follow them throughout their lives." His laughter shook the nearby trees. "I was merely called Big Blue before my naming. In order to be given a name, one must demonstrate his or her dragon gifts. Mine is of course the lightning breath, and my size."

"I still don't understand what you mean, by choosing their own aspect." I wondered if dragons could change colors or some of their features. Again he laughed at my confusion.

"I wonder that my friend M has not shared this simple ability. Perhaps it is his affinity with the king's daughter that makes him reluctant to share the secret." He looked over his shoulder, to where M was standing guard near the entrance to the village. "Allow me to demonstrate."

Right before our eyes, the enormous blue dragon shimmered and seemed to shrink in on himself. I could feel the power of the magic he used, and Alyss and I were both stunned, when a man stood before us. He was a big man, with lean muscles and light hair like the Kellan's, that grew past his shoulders. I kept my eyes locked onto his face, as he was naked. Even faster than the queen and princess were clothed, Ghar'rett was robed as I was.

"I do not understand this need for clothing. Among dragons, there is no need for modesty or shame." He opened his robe wide. "I am a fine male, of any race." At the gasps of the people around him, he closed his robe and covered himself. "You can see why I prefer to remain in my dragon aspect."

"The others can do this too? I mean they can become human if they choose?" I wanted him to be clear.

"No, of course they can't become human. But they can change their likeness, if it pleases them." He ran his fingers through his hair, then stopped suddenly to scratch at a spot between his shoulders. "Ahh... I can finally scratch that maddening itch! I must be getting close to molting age."

"How do you do it?" Alyss fluttered from the ground in her excitement, attracting the attention of the villagers.

"Molting?"

"No not molting! How do you change? How can they change into a human form?" A small crowd was gathering around us, including our royal family. Ehd Wyrd moved closer, and listened to Ghar'rett intently.

"It is simply a matter of will; the magic is within us. It is about believing you can, and it will happen. If I want to raise my arm, I believe I can, and it happens. If I want to change my aspect, I must believe I can, to make it happen. It helps to know exactly how you wish to appear, and of course you must also change your mass."

I watched Ehd Wyrd as he heard this. His eyes met mine and even though he was a dragon, and I wasn't touching his crown, I could tell what he was thinking. If it was within his power and control, he would choose a human aspect, and we would be together. I couldn't help but smile.

We were all surprised when it wasn't Ehd Wyrd or J'Spurr who changed first, but King Kharl. One minute he was a gleaming gold presence among us, and the next he was a handsome man. He wasted no time in wrapping May in a fierce hug, and kissing her. With proof that it could be done, J'Spurr was the next to change. Alyss squealed when he scooped her up and hugged her tight. We all noticed that he had chosen a form much smaller than his normal human height, and he was less than a foot taller than she was. Almost as an afterthought, wings sprouted from his back, and fanned the air.

Ghar'rett commented that both men had chosen to come dressed for the occasion, and he wondered aloud if they were ashamed of being naked. Ehd Wyrd moved away from the festive crowd, and I followed him as he retreated to a stand of trees outside the village.

"Are you okay, Ehd Wyrd?" I was concerned for him, as his wings twitched in agitation.

"Why would M keep this a secret from us?" He sounded angry. "All this time, and he never mentioned that we could change on our own. I was afraid I would lose you, because I was trapped in the form of a monster!"

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you." The man who stepped from behind a tree, didn't look anything like a dragon, but I knew in a second it was M. He was tall, and bigger than Ghar'rett. His skin was darkly tanned, and his black hair fell in loose curls to his shoulders. "It has only been a week that you've been old enough to do this. Until you became fully dragon, it didn't matter. Afterward... I was afraid to say anything about it."

"What is there to be afraid of?"

"If your family learned that I could change, and become human, then they may not have allowed me to spend time with my Rose." He gazed through a gap in the trees to where she was, laughing with her brother and parents.

"_Your Rose?"_ Ehd Wyrd was still confused, but I'd put it together than M was in love with Princess Rose. Not only that, but she probably knew he could change, and had likely spent time alone with him in his human aspect.

"She is mine." He sounded menacingly possessive, and even though Ehd Wyrd was still a dragon, and M was a small human in form, I worried what would happen if anyone contested his claim. "We are mates." He didn't say more, but went through the gap in the trees to find his princess.

"Are you okay?" I asked him again, as he seemed completely stunned.

"Come with me." He didn't have to ask twice, and I scrambled up on his back and he took off. He didn't stop until he reached a rugged beach, where the waves were crashing on the rocks, and the sand was strewn with driftwood. I climbed down, and faced him.

What he did then, took my breath away. He changed, right before my eyes, becoming the man I remembered from our short time together on the island. He was my human prince. I stepped forward, ready to rush into his arms, but he stepped away and began pacing.

"How could they keep this a secret?" He was angry. "I've been worried I would have to let you go, and all along, they knew there was a way around the curse! You didn't have to face the white wizard! You didn't have to face your death—we didn't need you to save us—and they _knew!"_

"I did have to face him. I was the only one who could stop him, and close the gateway."

"They had no right to keep this from us!"

"It's too late to be angry about it now. They're in love, Ehd Wyrd, they didn't do it to hurt you. They wanted to be together, and they were afraid someone would stop them."

"By keeping the secret, they nearly stopped _us._" He stopped his pacing, and stared at me. "I nearly lost you again." He moved quick, and I was in his arms, and we were kissing. I didn't want to let him go, but he pulled away and gazed down at me. "I love you."

"I love you too." I couldn't stop smiling as we held each other.

We stayed away for a long time, just being close, touching, and holding one another. His worry about convention and propriety seemed to have disappeared, though he was careful not to allow me to get too close. I dreamed of being as close as we could get, and making love with him. But he again reminded me that he wanted to marry me.

"I just want to be with you, Ehd Wyrd. Why do we have to keep waiting?"

"I have waited a hundred years for you. Have a little patience, my love." I sighed at his words. I just had a feeling that our time was not our own. Ever since I'd met him, there were people and forces trying to tear us apart. I was able to sleep without nightmares, but I still didn't sleep easy. I longed to sleep in his arms, and be his in all ways.

At dusk, Alyss came to find us. "Come quick, we've got visitors!" She didn't stop to explain, but flitted off on fairy wings. We could both fly, and it startled me to watch Ehd Wyrd demonstrate how strong his magical ability was, even when he wasn't in his dragon form. We landed before we reached the village, so they wouldn't be frightened of us. As we walked into the small town, there were torches and lanterns lit, and the people were assembling a banquet table in the main square.

We found King Kharl, and Queen May, and they were in the presence of a royal entourage, complete with a crowned king, and a royal princess, in an extravagant gown. As the crowd parted, Ehd Wyrd and I moved up where he could stand beside his father. Kharl introduced us individually, with as much decorum as I'd ever seen. I was no longer just Be'lah Swan, I was _the Sorceress of the Fi'nyx, Lady Be'lah Swan, Savior of Plaht Island. _I remembered to curtsy, as my grandmother had once taught me, as I was presented to the king of that mainland country.

Ehd Wyrd was introduced with a long title, and I realized he had several names I had never heard before. He bowed deeply, and I realized I was seeing _Prince Ehd Wyrd _for the first time. The king of the land continued with the formality, introducing his daughter for Ehd Wyrd's and my benefit.

The princess Tahn'yah was a lovely young woman, who giggled as she curtsied. Her blue eyes fastened on Ehd Wyrd, and I felt an instant wave of jealousy and fear.

"Thank you father. I never knew that the prince you betrothed me to would be so handsome! How soon can we marry?" She moved forward, giving me no choice but to step back from her voluminous skirts. She came between our clasped hands, and took his hand in her own. Ehd Wyrd forgot all decorum, as his mouth hung open in shock.

I saw Princess Rose edge out from beside her mother. "Begging your pardon, Your Highness, but the situation has changed since we last spoke. I am grateful for your gracious hospitality toward our people. You have held up your end of the agreement admirably well. But my brother was not aware of his part. At the time of our agreement, he was an unencumbered young man of the perfect age for your daughter Tahn'yah. I thought I was doing both of us a favor in procuring a royal wife for him. But I had no right to speak for him, as he is an adult. He has since bonded with Lady Be'lah, and I cannot force him to break his word and marry another."

The princess Tahn'yah looked at me, then back at Ehd Wyrd. She looked as if someone had snatched a favorite toy from her grasp. She burst into tears, wailing loudly as she rushed to her father's arms. The man wrapped her in a protective hug, and nailed each of us with his angry glare.

"This is nonsense! We have an agreement; you cannot back out now! My daughter was promised a prince from your line, and as the other is unsuitable, I demand that you honor your contract. There is no choice here; I do not care if he is enamored of the witch. He will marry my daughter, and he will make her happy. If you cannot honor your promise, then I will be forced to see it as an act of war. These people will be treated as invaders, and I will have my army march against them, and burn this place to the ground!"

**A/N: Thank you for all the reviews, and of course I greatly appreciate all of you who have kept up with this story and my erratic update schedule. I'm sorry I haven't responded personally to your reviews, but my time has become very limited lately. If you enjoy this story, you might want to follow me as an author, as I'm planning the sequel, Fairies in Moonlight. **


	19. Chapter 19 Goodbyes

Chapter 19

Goodbyes

King Kharl tried to dispute the agreement, as Rose had no authority to make any promises on behalf of the family. Queen May tried to appeal to the distant family ties between her line, and that of King Newt'n. Rose tried to come up with alternative compensation for the broken contract, and J'Spurr offered to take Ehd Wyrd's place, even though he clearly hoped his offer would be declined. There was squabbling, and the argument became louder and more out of control.

Ehd Wyrd ended it in a move that shocked us all. He took hold of Princess Tahn'yah's hand, and dropped to one knee. As my heart broke, he asked her to marry him. As soon as the girl accepted, I fled. I ran to the stand of trees, and from there I flew, soaring into the twilight sky, propelled by pain and consumed by emptiness. I knew what he did was for his people, and not for any desire for the girl, but it didn't matter. I'd lost him. He couldn't be mine.

I knew there was only one place for me—only one place that could hold the pain I felt. I flew toward the island, and the fire of the volcano.

She caught up with me, fluttering her wings so fast they blurred. Alyss grabbed my arm, halting me as I headed out over the water.

"I can't let you leave, Be'lah."

"You can't keep me here. I've served my purpose, and there's nothing left for me."

"The dragons still expect you to lead them home."

"_You _lead them. I'm sick to death of prophesies and duties. I want no part of this—I'm tired Alyss. I have no hope left. Every time I dare to dream, reality takes another piece of me. I can't do this! I can't watch the man I love with all my soul, marry that girl. She's _gray,_ and she doesn't deserve him, and maybe I don't either. But I won't watch—you can't make me. I don't want to live my life, knowing she has everything I wanted. It's not fair! I know better than to expect fairness, but I've given everything for this dream, and I deserve more than to be pushed aside. She has done nothing but cry her false tears, and wrap her daddy around her pretty little fingers. I can't tolerate living one more day in a world that can allow such—_injustice!"_

_ "_You can't leave." She held on to my sleeve, but she was too small to hold me.

"I can. Just don't tell him what I've done—he doesn't need the guilt. His life is about to become truly miserable." I shook free of her grasp, and continued to fly. She easily kept up with me.

"Be'lah, don't go. This isn't how it's supposed to end."

"But it _is, _Alyss. Life isn't a fantasy. In the real world, curses are not magically broken, grandmothers burn to death in volcanoes, and the prince may fall in love with a commoner, but the princess still gets to have him anyway! Don't you see, nothing has ever gone the way it's supposed to for me. I'm tired of being Fates pawn. _You_ lead the dragons home; they don't need me. Ehd Wyrd doesn't need me, and neither do the people. I'm only in the way."

"Be'lah please..." She tried again to reach for me.

"No! Don't you see Alyss? If I stay, I'll kill her. I can't stay and not fight for him—and I would win. I would start a war between the Kellan's and the mainland, and the dragons would fight for me. I could take this kingdom from them by force, and give it to Ehd Wyrd for a wedding gift. I could have him as my own, and we could rule over this land. But it would change me. Are you prepared to put an end to me when I become worse than the white leech?"

"That's not going to happen—Be'lah, you have to listen to me..." I turned and flew away from the desperation on her face.

"Goodbye Alyss."

"He's not going to marry her!" Her shout stopped me, and I flew back to her. "I saw a premonition, and... he doesn't marry her. I can't tell you any more, but I do know he's never going to marry Tahn'yah—unless you leave, that is." She took my hand and pulled me along as she flew back. "Just give it a little more time to work itself out."

We made it back to the village seemingly minutes after I'd left. The people were still gathered around King Newt'n and his spoiled daughter. We landed inconspicuously behind the crowd, and I stared at the way Tahn'yah clung to Ehd Wyrd's arm. I thought of at least ten ways I could kill her with a spell, and each one was more brutal than the last. By the time I'd imagined burying her up to her neck on the beach, and walking on her face, Ehd Wyrd spoke.

"Highness, before you grant me your daughter's hand in marriage, you should know that I am no longer a human prince. What you see is an alternate form, and it's magic that supports it. I am a dragon, and I will be a dragon for as long as I live." The king looked as if he would laugh at the idea, but Ehd Wyrd cleared a spot among the crowd, and changed back into the bronzed beauty. Many of the crowd screamed, and some of the king's entourage swooned. Archers readied their bows, and the men at arms drew their swords.

The princess Tahn'yah was obviously frightened, but she was also interested in the dragon. I had to wonder if she thought he would make a good pet. I could almost feel her avarice, as she sized him up. Surely no one else would have their very own dragon protecting their life and property.

"Father, I think this can still work—if he can become a man at will." She spoke softly from his side, and I'm sure most of the crowd couldn't hear her. Her father motioned her to silence as he tried to take advantage of the situation.

"I would have your men stand down, unless you want to bury them." It was King Kharl who gave the warning to the mainland ruler. "Your weapons cannot harm him, and he is more than capable of destroying your forces." From where I stood, I couldn't see well, but I detected a hint of humor in Kharl's voice. I moved closer.

King Newt'n wasn't to be outdone. "Men, turn your arrows to the queen and her princess. If the dragon makes a move, kill them." I slowly stepped forward, and noticed two arrows were trained on me as well.

I spoke directly to the sovereign. "Your arrows won't harm them either. I've put a magical shield between your people and ours. We didn't come here to fight, but you need to understand you face a far greater force than you realize. The Kellan's are honorable, and would gladly repay you for the shelter you've given these people. But you won't get what you want with threats."

"This is none of your concern, Witch!" The king obviously didn't like sorcerers. "The prince has already agreed to marry my daughter, and this trickery isn't going to change that fact. You need to stop this illusion, and accept that my daughter will be his wife—not you."

Ehd Wyrd spoke from behind me, asking me to translate for him. When I heard what he had to say, I was reluctant to give King Newt'n the message. But with a heavy heart, I spoke the words he gave me.

"The prince tells me he will marry your daughter, but he wishes to spend a small amount of time alone with her. He promises to protect her virtue, but there are matters he wishes to discuss away from the crowd. If she hears what he has to say, and still wants to marry him, then he will..." I choked on the words. "...he will set me aside and be faithful to her alone."

The king carefully considered Ehd Wyrds proposal. "Agreed. But know I will expect you to keep your word."

I felt sick and apprehensive, wondering what he had in mind, and why he would make such a promise. I turned to look at him, and I could swear he was smiling. He didn't say a word, but with his long reach, his clawed hand snatched the princess from her father's side. In a fluid motion, he leaped into the sky as she shrieked.

"Tell him to come back with my daughter!" I shrugged my shoulders, as if I were helpless in the matter. He flew so high, they looked like insects in the sky. Then he dove toward the ground, with his wings folded to gain momentum. When he pulled up from the dive, he flew low and fast over the crowd. The archers fired a volley of arrows at him, and any that hit bounced off harmlessly. Tahn'yah's screams could be heard over the crowd.

I watched him fly his twisting maneuvers, then I laughed as he flew into a spiral. Again he soared high into the sky, and somersaulted several times as he came down. When he flew over the crowd again, he had Tahn'yah held upside down by her feet, with her skirt over her head. Even as we watched, he flipped her in mid-air, and caught her right side up. Along with her screaming, I could hear his draconic laughter.

King Newt'n grabbed my arm in a painful grip. "Make him bring my daughter back!" He pulled me close, and pressed a dagger to my throat. I didn't think, but felt the magic flow from me. I could smell the heat, and his burning hand, as the hilt became too hot to hold. When he dropped the blade, I found myself with a sword poking my chest, as his guard stepped forward to threaten me.

Even before I could react, we all heard the dragon's roar, and the arms-man was snatched, leaving his sword to clatter to the ground. I was horrified as Ehd Wyrd flew high again, then dropped the armored man. I remembered how R'ness broke our fall during training. With a flick of my wrist, a tangled cushion of vines, leaves, and flowers sprung from the ground beneath him. With the height and armor, it wouldn't be enough, but I'd cast it more for the display. Silent and still, I cast the spell that caught him just before he hit, then I allowed him to fall into the mound of wild growth, encouraging the vines to encumber him.

Even as we watched the man trying to extricate himself from the growth, Tahn'yah was set on her feet near her father. She was breathless, and crying hysterically. The king rushed to her, just as she turned a pale shade of green, and spewed at least two meals worth of princess food all over the both of them. Ehd Wyrd sauntered from the edge of the village, again looking like the handsome human prince. He offered the princess an inadequate handkerchief, with a smile.

"I hope the flight wasn't too rough. I of course will expect my bride to fly with me, as we survey our kingdom. I'm sure you'll get used to it after a while."

"No!" She screeched at him, balling her fists and stomping her slippered foot. "There is no way I'll marry you—not even of you were the only man alive! You're nothing but a beast!" She turned to her father, who was trying to wipe the mess from his robes. "Father, I won't do it! I would rather die than marry this... this _monster!"_

The king put his arm around his daughter, and tried to comfort her. She wailed against his chest, as he glared at the family.

"This demonstration has left me with no choice." King Newt'n puffed himself up, trying to look important. "This is clearly an act of war, and I..." He never got the chance to finish, as he was suddenly faced with a shimmering gold dragon. With a single breath, the royal entourage fell asleep where they stood. The king and his daughter slumped to the ground, the archers dropped their bows as they collapsed, and swords clattered to the ground.

The gold dragon gently picked up the king, and silently flew away with him. I was surprised when Queen May took charge. The villagers were all given orders, and one by one the king's escort was carried away. The princess alone snored away, still in her mussed dress, curled in the middle of the road. It was M who picked her up at Rose's urging. We all followed M as he carried her to the small inn at the center of the village.

Inside the common room, the princess Tahn'yah was placed on a sleeping mat near the fireplace. Rose and Queen May cleaned the vomit from her clothes, and brushed the tangles from her hair. Ehd Wyrd took my hand, distracting me from what they were doing.

"I love you, Be'lah. If I had been forced to marry that girl, every day I would have had to fight the temptation to throw her from a cliff. Her father doesn't know how lucky he is that she changed her mind."

"What's going to happen now? He could bring an army against these people. He could make it impossible for your family to rebuild."

"I don't think that's going to happen. Even as stubborn as King Newt'n is, my father is showing him what he'll be up against. He's taking him to see the dragons we've left out on the plain. The villagers here have taken the members of his escort into their homes. They'll be stripped of weapons and armor, but treated as guests when they awake."

He sighed loudly. "As for Princess Tahn'yah, she has rejected my proposal, but she could still change her mind for spite. She's a rather manipulative little brat, and she could still be a thorn in our sides. She's the kings only child, and it's possible for her to take the throne some day, if she marries and produces a male heir. I'm not sure I like Rose and Alyss' plan, but it does the most good for the people who have to live with her rule."

I'd listened to the discussion of what to do with the princess, and I was even more reluctant to go along with their idea. I could erase her memory of Ehd Wyrd, but she would also forget that he had terrified her, and that she had rejected him. I also thought of taking her someplace, and maybe locking her in a tower, but my own time being a captive wouldn't allow me to even suggest such a thing. And of course there was the idea of giving her a clean death—the king had voiced his threat to declare war on the people. I would be within my rights to end any threat to my beloved. Instead I watched as Alyss and Rose plotted and planned. I tried to convince Alyss that it was wrong to take away her will.

"I know you would never do this, Be'lah. But I'm Fey, and this kind of magic is our legacy. Trust me, no one can truly subvert the will, no matter how powerful their magic. She has to yield somewhere in her thinking, or this won't work."

Enough time had passed to put their plan in place, when King Kharl returned with King Newt'n. The situation had obviously changed. The man was shaken, and he seemed very respectful of Kharl. When he discovered his men had all been neutralized, he realized he was even more at the mercy of the island folk. His daughter's declaration made him go white.

"I know he's not what you would have chosen for me, Daddy, but I love him, and I want to get married—soon!" The man she'd declared love for, wasn't Ehd Wyrd or even J'Spurr. He was a man from the village, formerly of Plaht Island. Rose had interviewed the man, and knew that he came from a good family, though his parents had died to Zhar on the island. I could see his essence was much purer than Tahn'yah's, and my most serious misgivings were not about manipulating her emotions, but concern for saddling a decent young man with such a conniving woman.

Queen May spoke for the young man. "If you accept his proposal, then we will adopt Ry'lee as our son, conferring on him the title of Prince. He won't become a dragon, but he will fulfill the original agreement. It would place him fifth in the line of succession, behind Kharl, Rose's husband, J'Spurr, and Ehd Wyrd. I would remind you that our line is carried through the women, and truly an adopted son could only rule until a more suitable heir was found. But the title carries enough weight, it should raise her social standing—if that sort of thing is important to you."

King Newt'n carefully considered the proposal. He really didn't have much of a choice, as his daughter clung to the arm of soon-to-be Prince Ry'lee, and looked at him with adoring eyes.

"She will remain with me, until after the wedding—and the adoption of course."

"Of course." King Kharl agreed with the other monarch. "Then they can come to the island once they're married. I imagine by then we should have part of our new citadel built. I would hope that since we are going to be related soon, we could work out a trade agreement between our two kingdoms?" King Kharl put his arm around the other man's shoulders, and they found a table where they could sit, talk, and negotiate.

"Looks like you're no longer going to be the little brother." J'Spurr came alongside Ehd Wyrd and elbowed him in the ribs. It was quite a reach for him.

"Funny you should mention it, _little _brother. As I recall, you used to be the one to pull the wings off of flies; you better hope no one else has that idea." He reached out and touched J'Spurr's silvery white wings.

"Hey, no touching! Get your own wings." He looked up at Ehd Wyrd. Why didn't you change the way you looked, you know we can become anything. You could have chosen to have muscles or wings, or even a tail if you wanted."

"This is how she sees me." His eyes met mine, and he smiled. "That's what matters most to me."

"I can understand that." J'Spurr moved through the crowd to Alyss' side. They looked as if they belonged together.

Ehd Wyrd took my hand and lead me outside the inn. It was dark, but for the moon flirting with the clouds in the sky. I summoned a glow ball as we walked further along the road, and it lit our way when he lead me from the road and into the field and the trees. We hadn't gone too far, when he stopped me beneath a black willow tree, and pulled me into his arms. It was quiet and peaceful, and I wondered if he could hear the pounding of my heart.

With his fingers guiding my chin, he tipped my head up. I glimpsed his face, with the moon shining on his pale skin, and I caught my breath at his beauty. Then he kissed me, stealing my breath entirely. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and clung to him as we kissed. I'd come so close to losing him again, and I didn't want to let him go. We sank to the ground, and sat beneath the tree, touching, and kissing, and being in love.

I was worried he would bring up propriety and tell me he was breaking with convention and not observing proper decorum. Instead he pulled me close, and his arms encircled me, keeping me warm. I snuggled against him and relaxed. When I opened my eyes, I realized I'd fallen asleep. I could see the predawn light, giving the trees and shrubs a faint glow.

As the dawn broke over us, we talked about our plans for the future. He thought it would be best if we waited until we returned the dragons to their realm, before we got married. I wasn't so sure, but it wasn't as if we could circumvent the royal wedding. He apologized so many times for hurting me with his proposal to Tahn'yah, and maintained that he would always love only me.

When we walked back to the inn, we found everyone in a heated discussion on what needed to be done next. Kharl and May wanted to get started right away on rebuilding their home, which would mean getting ships to take supplies to the island and recruiting a workforce. Ghar'rett was in his human form, arguing for returning the dragons to their rightful home, and King Newt'n wanted to see the adoption of Ry'lee, and the marriage of his daughter. Alyss argued for finding the lost gateway, before it got too close to winter.

I had to interrupt and remind them that the dragons would be both restless and hungry, as long as they were away from their home.

"Why don't we split up, and see what we can accomplish in smaller groups. Kharl and May can start the process of rebuilding. Princess Tahn'yah and her father can start planning a wedding, and the rest of us can find a way to get the dragons back where they belong." I wasn't thrilled with the idea of leading everyone across the country to find the gateway, but I knew we had to get the dragons away from the inhabited areas. M still wanted to go after his brother, and send him to his final resting place, but he agreed to wait until after the dragons were home.

With everything settled, King Newt'n put his entourage back together, and they left before the sun had fully risen. Kharl and May had signed several agreements with him, including trade agreements, a marriage contract, and peace treaties, that were intended to keep the dragons from attacking his people, and especially his person.

We found a fisherman who had a detailed map of the mainland coast, and we learned what we would encounter as we searched for the gate. There were several small settlements along the ocean, but the one we had to be most careful of, was the K'will Utte village. I remembered my training there, and knew they would be wary of a group like ours. Not only that, but their magic would make them more of a threat than King Newt'n and his men. Their village and school were close to the place where Alyss believed the gateway would be found.

I thought back over my training, and smiled. I recalled all the admonitions about using stolen magic, especially leeching. I realized that the K'will Utte's method of training had likely come about due to encountering Jheyms, when he first gained his power. I could imagine that leech as a young man, seeking to learn from them, and discovering instead the source of power that turned him into an abomination. I even imagined that Alyss' mother had interacted with them on occasion, as it seemed too great a coincidence that a school for magicians would spring up on the mainland across from the gateway. I wondered too if creatures from Fey had come through the gateway, and influenced the K'will Uttes and their legends. Some of the things I'd learned at the school made me think it was likely.

We decided we would leave at dusk, so that we could fly along the coast and be unobserved by most humans. We felt certain that by morning we would be at the K'will Utte village. I hoped they would help us locate the gateway, since they were likely to know the precise place where the sea stack had stood. We noted places on the map where the dragons might be able to hunt, and we split them up into groups, so their hunting wouldn't decimate any one area. The plan was to have Ehd Wyrd, J'Spurr, Kharl, M and I in charge of these groups, so that we could steer them clear of livestock and other domesticated animals.

We would be leaving all the island people behind in the village, and for the rest of the day, the dragons helped them fell trees and clear land to be used for their homes. There was of course some grumbling about being put to such menial tasks, but I wouldn't allow them to shirk these duties, if they wanted me to lead them home. I myself worked along with them, using spells to help build two houses by the time the sun started its slide toward the horizon.

I was amused to find that May, Rose, and Alyss had used their time weaving cloth, and making clothes. Since we had left the island with so little, these garments were treasured, and Alyss packed them up and stored them in one of her containers. The villagers were generous, in giving us what we would need on our journey, but we refused most of their offerings. They were still working to make a life there, and they would need what little they had.

With new land cleared for fields and homes, I took a sack of seed, and spread it on the newly cleared earth. With spells from the first law of life and birth, along with those from the ninth law of seasons, I encouraged the grain to grow, and flourish, and I was able to leave them with more food to help feed the new additions to their numbers. Ehd Wyrd had also flown into the uninhabited areas, and brought back nuts and fruits from trees growing in the wild.

It was a lot of work we did, and we still had the long night of flying ahead of us. An hour before we were due to leave, Ehd Wyrd pulled me away for some time alone, and we rested together under the same tree we'd found the night before. We didn't talk, and he held me in his arms as we rested, neither of us willing to give up time alone for a nap.

At sundown, we left with little fanfare, as most of the villagers had retired to their dark homes. I smiled when I saw Ry'lee hug May, and she kissed his cheek. He would remain behind in the village, while May and Kharl went on to the main city, to begin negotiating for ships, workers, and building materials. We said our goodbyes, and May cried as she kissed her children and told us all to be careful.

Then we were on our way, and I was again in my seat astride Ehd Wyrd. The night was long and dark, and we followed the coastline, watching the glow of the waves in the moonlight, ceaselessly pounding against the shore. We avoided all human settlements, and tried to stay out of sight of the few fishing boats we saw out on the ocean.

We almost missed the K'will Utte village, as it was smaller than I remembered. We landed in a deep forest that was a decent walk from the village. We left the dragons behind, but for Ehd Wyrd in his human form, and Rose went along as well. Alyss wanted to go with us, but I was afraid she would scare them.

I needn't have worried about that. As we approached the village, we encountered scouts. They emerged from the trees, with bows trained on us. I also recognized the magical resonance of spells at the ready. One young man stepped from the trees, and identified himself as Sa'am. He looked young, but he wore the robes of a sixth tier adept. Six was all they learned, so he was likely one of their most powerful mages. I didn't remember him from my time there. I introduced myself, and I was about to introduce my companions, as he glared at Ehd Wyrd.

"Why do you bring one of their kind with you? We don't allow changelings on our land!"

"My name is Princess Rose A'lee Kellan, and that is Prince Ehd Wyrd Ma'son Kellan, my brother."

"I'm sure you think he is, but I know he is not what he seems. You are in a great deal of danger, Princess—you too Be'lah Swan. That is no man at your side." Even as he spoke, Ehd Wyrd shimmered and changed before their eyes. In seconds he was back to his natural form, and arrows were bouncing off of his tough hide. Sa'am fell into an attack stance, and threw a powerful bolt of lightning at Ehd Wyrd. I easily blocked it with my shield, and he seemed shocked.

"Stand down Sa'am, we're not here to fight." I stepped in front of Ehd Wyrd, and picked up a broken arrow. "You can't hurt us, and we have no intention of attacking you. We're here to search for the gateway." He looked momentarily startled, then his face went blank.

"What gateway?" As he tried unsuccessfully to lie about the gate, the guardians crept out of the trees and stood with him. All were brown skinned young men, and for some reason they were only dressed in pants. Perhaps their initiate robes were impractical for tree climbing.

"We know about the gateway, which was lost over a hundred years ago. We know also of the leech who drained the guardian, and caused the gate to fall into the sea."

"Be'lah... is that really you?" One of the young men spoke up, causing a look of irritation to cross Sa'am's face as he bravely stepped forward, getting closer to a potentially dangerous sorceress and her dragon. He glanced back at his leader with a smile.

"Sa'am, it's Be'lah! She's the one I told you about, who used to train here. She left before you got back; I told you she was the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen." He came closer to hug me, and Ehd Wyrd growled menacingly, freezing him.

I remembered him, but he had changed in the short time I'd been away. J'kub was younger than I was, and he'd been my only friend while I was with the K'will Utte's. I'd been too focused on learning magic, to pay attention to the crush he'd seemed to have on me. He was a grown man now, it seemed. I stepped forward, and instead of hugging him, I shook his hand.

"I was hoping the K'will Uttes would help us. It's very important that we find the gateway..."

"The gateway is not something a novice should play around with!" Again Sa'am looked angry, and J'kub looked torn between us.

"I'm not a novice." I looked at him defiantly

"If you only trained here for part of the year, you _are _a novice. How far did you make it, first tier? Second?" His voice was condescending, and he was beginning to make me angry. If not for his clean essence, I might have attacked him.

"I've studied up through the fourteenth law—all but the thirteenth that is." He laughed, derision making the sound unpleasant.

"You lie! There are only six tiers of good magic." I sighed in exasperation as I explained.

"I learned from an elf, and there are more than fourteen laws. Humans are typically unable to grasp more than fourteen, but others can use more powerful magic with ease." I looked around me. This wasn't the time or place to discuss his incomplete lessons in magic. "Could we not better discuss this at the school? We've traveled a long way to get here, and we still have a lot to do."

"You're not getting anywhere near the school, not if I have anything to say about it!" The young men closed ranks around the man who was obviously leading them. I recognized he was subtly using the tenth law of binding on them. He seemed to be unaware he was exerting control over them with magic the K'will Utte's considered evil.

"Oh there you are! I'm glad I found you, I thought you might need me." Alyss zipped into our midst on fluttering wings. She assessed the situation, and laughed, a high, musical sound. "It looks like I made it just in time." The men stared at her, mouths open in shock.

"What _are _you?" Sa'am had forgotten all about me, as he watched Alyss flitting about the little clearing.

"You know what I am, Sa'am." I didn't know how she knew his name, but he was shocked to hear it. It was an effective demonstration of the power of seventh law of identity. "Why are you harassing my friends? No one has done a thing to hurt you or cause trouble." He stared a little longer, then pointed at Ehd Wyrd.

"That one is a changeling. We cannot allow anything dangerous to come to our school."

"We're going to the school. We won't become dangerous, unless you try to stop us." She waved us on, and as we moved forward on the path, Sa'am cast a spell. I don't even know what it was supposed to do, because as soon as he released it, a shower of flowers rained down on him. Alyss laughed.

"Is that the best you can do? Please stop before you hurt someone—maybe one of your companions." Sa'am made the mistake of getting angry. His next spell bounced wide, and the tree limb it hit, snapped and fell with a loud crash. He cast three more spells in rapid succession, and by the time Alyss was finished turning his spells against him, he was lying face down on the ground and wearing a woman's lacy undergarments. His head was covered in honey, and his hands were tied with vivid green snakes that hissed and bit whenever his friends tried to untie him.

"Does anyone else want to tell us we can't visit the school?" The rest of the young men looked respectful and somewhat afraid of her. "I didn't think so. Don't worry, the spells should wear off in an hour or two. You're lucky I was in a good mood."

We moved forward on the path, and two of the young men lead the way, and the rest fell in behind. All but J'kub that is, and he edged in close to walk beside me.

"She's a fairy, right?" He smiled brightly, as his brown eyes took in Alyss, flying along beside Rose. "I mean I _know _she's a fairy, but I thought they were just a myth. The old-timers tell stories about how they used to come from the stacks, like they were stepping out of thin air. You look good Be'lah. Do you really know all that magic? I'm still learning the third tier..." His enthusiasm faded as Ehd Wyrd poked his head between us, nudging J'kub aside.

"What's the story with this changeling dragon?" Ehd Wyrd walked close, breathing hot air on my back. I wished he would just change back to his human form, but the way he watched J'kub made me think he believed the young man was a threat.

"That's no normal dragon. That's Prince Ehd Wyrd Kellan, of Plaht Island. He was cursed by the white leech Jheyms, over a hundred years ago, and changed into a dragon, along with his family."

"Wait a minute, I've heard of them! The school teaches us history, don't you remember? Of course not, you were too deep in studying magic to take classes in history. But I remember there was a prophesy... something about dragons and a bird that was supposed to break the curse. That's _real_?" he looked at me in disbelief, and then glanced at Ehd Wyrd, hovering over us. "You're traveling with a dragon and a fairy... what about the white leech, is he nearby?" He looked much more frightened at the mention of Jheyms than he was of Ehd Wyrd.

"The white leech is dead—all three of them are dead."

"What? There were three? You've seen them? How did they die? Who killed them?" His questions made him seem younger.

"I killed the one called Kai'us, the dragon Eh'met killed Jain, and Alyss killed Jheyms." I remembered the horror of that day.

"Who's Alyss? She must be powerful." He had no idea how powerful she was. I pointed to the tiny girl flitting along in front of us, and smiled at his disbelief.

"That's Alyss. I couldn't kill Jheyms, but she could."

"You _tried?_ Why in the world would you...? He stopped walking and stared at me in shock. "_You're_ the one? You're the one from the prophesy... the great bird! But that's impossible! You're just a normal girl—you're just an initiate!"

"I only wish that were true. Remember the nightmares I had? I left as soon as the nightmares grew strong. I always knew Jheyms would find me, and try to kill me—even before I knew who he was."

"Why didn't the elders know this? You should have been protected. We should have stood with you to face the leech. How did you even hope to win against such a powerful enemy?"

"I didn't. I always knew he would kill me."

"Alyss saved your life." He seemed to want to believe the best, and I remembered it was his optimism I'd enjoyed when we were friends.

"No. I died twice that day. Jheyms sacrificed me to open the gateway between the dragon realm and this one. It took every drop of my blood, and my death was supposed to destroy the gateway. But he healed me, and forced me to accept his stolen life force. I didn't stay dead, and the gateway stood open. His dragon army poured through, because of my failure."

"But the prophesy said..."

"I know what it said! I failed—just as I was intended to fail. We thought it was about stopping the white leech and breaking the dragon's curse. But the prophesy only told of what _could _happen. It didn't take into account the power and determination of my grandmother. She had a different plan, which was to destroy the gateway between the realm of the elves and this one. My destiny was to die in this pursuit, and in that I did not fail."

"But..." He was struck speechless. Alyss flew back to us.

"Be'lah died in the volcano eruption on Plaht Island. She destroyed the gateway, and arose a fi'nyx. It is one of the most unique magical occurrences possible. She is a powerful magical entity—one that defies description. She is no normal girl." I heard Ehd Wyrd's chuckle behind me at Alyss' words.

"_Extraordinary and beautiful—and mine."_ J'kub couldn't understand his draconic speech. I smiled up at him, recognizing that his unwillingness to change to his human form, wasn't about protecting me from danger, but was because he was jealous of J'kub. In Ehd Wyrd's human form, he was not as large and muscular as J'kub, but as a dragon, he was clearly more powerful. I could understand his feelings. If I had been able to become the fi'nyx at will, I might have menaced the beautiful Tahn'yah in much the same way.


	20. Chapter 20 Answers

Chapter 20

Answers

We finally came to the school, and the welcome we received was much better than the one Sa'am gave us. We stood among the cluster of small houses where the adepts lived, and the students poured out of the large stone building I remembered from my training. I remembered the school as being much larger, and the student's being more numerous. There were only about a hundred students, and perhaps fifteen wearing the robes of adepts, with the banding of the sixth tier on the bottom of their robes.

With so much attention focused on Ehd Wyrd, he finally changed, taking on his human aspect, as everyone watched him in awe. The head of the school came forward to greet us, and I smiled to see H'ree Clear Water was still alive and well. He remembered me, and as I moved to shake his hand, he pulled me into a hug.

"Welcome back, dear girl. It's good to see you have lived through your trials." It was my turn to be shocked. "We had a little advance news of what you were up against. You remember my friend B'lee?" When the crowd parted so I could see him, resting on the tree stump which had been carved into a comfortable seat, I was pleasantly surprised. I remembered the healer from the island who had saved my life, and my legs as well. I went to hug him, and he stayed where he was as tears filled his eyes.

"I'm sorry I can't get up, my legs don't work any more. They found out I helped you, and Kai'us beat me until my legs were destroyed."

"I'm so sorry!" I bent to hug him, as I cried over what had been done to him.

"It was an honor. You were supposed to be crippled, so you couldn't run from the leeches, and they could control you and use you. I am happy I was able to ruin their plans."

"I killed him—Kai'us is dead now. So are the other two, Jheyms and Jain. We could try to heal you..." He waved me off with a shake of his head. "I am an old man now, and soon I will be with my Sa'reh. Besides, I still have my own magic." Without so much as a twitch, he levitated into the air. It was then I saw the six bands on his robe.

He floated after us, as H'ree lead us into the school. The crowd of students broke up as they were ordered back to class. In a spacious open room, I made the introductions. It was then Alyss who was the center of attention.

"You're the daughter of Ny'a?" H'ree stared at her and she nodded. "Wait right here!" He hurried out of the room, and the rest of the six tiered adepts asked us questions I tried not to answer. I wanted to tell the story one time only. When H'ree came back, he held a carved box that looked like it was made of bone. He set the box on a table with reverence, then waved Alyss closer.

"My grandfather met your mother, long before I was born. She had been seen several times throughout our history, as were several creatures crossing over from Fey. He has passed the story down, through my father, to me. He tells me he saw her one last time, after the land shook, and the sea stack fell. A boat full of fishermen were washed inland, and found clinging to trees when the water receded. Many historic things happened at this time, and the most notable was the release of the leech upon the world." He had all eyes on him as he told the story.

"He was a man when he first came to us. He wanted us—again that was before my time—he wanted our predecessors to teach him magic. He already knew leeching, and he was happy to demonstrate his mastery of a handful of spells, including flight. The school was still new, and they could have used a sorcerer of his power. But he gained his strength through draining, and that was forbidden to us. He had not yet progressed to draining the life from people, but he had no conscience, even then. They denied his request for them to teach him.

"It was a tragic time for our school, for this young wizard grew angry, and took his first life, draining the adept who denied him. He then used this stolen power to make his escape, and he flew out over the water, and landed on the sea stack. The gateway was invisible to him, as it is to all of us with human eyes. But he found the guardian.

"She was in essence trapped, with her ties to the gateway. She couldn't leave for long, and if she did, she feared he would find the gateway and escape into Fey, where he could prey upon her people. She fought him with her own magic, but he was strong with his stolen power. In the end it was his size and strength that won out, and he used a rock, hitting her head, until she was limp and almost lifeless. He then drained the magic from her frail body." We all stared, as he wiped a tear from his eye.

"They knew something was wrong when they felt the ground tremble. It was a powerful shaking, that collapsed part of the school, and took the water from the beach. The stack collapsed onto the sand, where once it had been surrounded by water. The wizard who had once been a man, floated toward the school, a monster in a man's skin. It was only the rushing water of the sea that stopped him from killing everyone at the school. As it was, he took the lives of three young students before he fled the rushing tide. My own grandfather cast spells against him, but they were ineffective through his power.

"It was several days later, while they were mourning their losses, that she came to the school. She was barely alive, and my grandfather said she looked like an abused child. They nursed her back to health, but she was still broken... that's just the word my grandfather used—_broken. _She told them what had happened to her, and there were many nights when she wept inconsolably. She could never go back home, and she had lost her purpose. She was the only one of her kind, except for a few wild ones who had come through and become lost in our world."

"My grandfather spent a lot of time with her while she was here, and he was the one who saw her go into her trances. He was an excellent scribe, and when he first saw her eyes glaze over, and heard her speaking in a strange voice, he wrote down everything she said. He was the one who recorded her prophesies. He was the one who passed them on to first my father, and then to me."

I wondered why he had never told me these things when I was a student. He smiled at me, as if he could read my mind. "I'm sorry Be'lah, I didn't recognize that you were the one the prophesies spoke of. If I had known what your nightmares were about, I would have guessed, but you kept them secret from me, and then you were gone. B'lee figured it out when you met him on the island. After what happened to him, he came back here, and told us all he knew. I don't know how he could have missed that he had Ny'a's daughter right under his nose as well."

"She didn't look like that when I saw her." B'lee defended himself. "She wasn't at Kellan Castle for long, and I barely had a chance to look at her. She didn't look any different from all the other girls they fed to the dragons—and how could you do that, anyway?" His angry words were directed at Ehd Wyrd. "I thought you were eating these girls. If I'd been younger, I would have gone out and fought you myself! I didn't know what was happening to them, and I had to encourage this poor girl to follow her destiny, and face you. Everyone was terrified of you!"

"That was the whole point." Ehd Wyrd never strayed far from my side. "The people were in danger as long as the curse continued. We wanted everyone to fear for their lives, and leave the island. A lot of people took their families and fled, as soon as we made our demands for sacrifices. We were actually very surprised that so many stayed and offered up their daughters."

"Am I to understand there are more of you?" H'ree seemed confused, and I realized we were going to have another delay.

"My brother is with me. He's waiting about two miles from your village, watching over the other dragons."

"Other dragons...?" H'ree looked around in alarm. "Where is Sa'am? He's supposed to be in charge of the scouts." His gaze landed on a guilty looking J'kub. "Care to explain?"

"Uhmm... he's still out in the woods..." J'kub glanced at me, hoping for help.

"I left him tied up there." Alyss boldly took the blame for the missing scout. "He didn't want to allow us to come here. I've already sent a message to the rest of the group, letting them know you would like to meet them. I could let them know that they should bring Sa'am along with them."

I wondered how she'd sent a message, and I assumed it must have been some kind of magic. It was just one of those surprises that let me know she had powerful magic. After needing weeks of training for my own spells, it was hard to believe she didn't need any lessons.

If I was surprised, then B'lee and H'ree were both shocked that she had the ability to overcome their best scout. B'lee tried to look unconcerned, and H'ree just stared at her open, innocent face.

"Yes... please have them bring him along..."

We were all waiting for them, when J'Spurr, M, and Ghar'rett came in. M carried an unconscious scout over his shoulder, and I was glad to note the honey and snakes were gone, but he still wore the lacy undergarments. Alyss giggled, as the big scout slumped into a most un-ladylike position, when M draped him in a chair.

There were more introductions, and the teachers at the school were overwhelmed to be entertaining royalty, as well as dragons. There were stories retold, and we were grateful when someone brought us a refreshing fruit drink. Finally everyone seemed to have a grasp of what had happened with the prophesy, the fairy, and everything that had happened since Jheyms came to the island. It was then H'ree brought our attention back to the box.

"Before Ny'a left them, she made my grandfather promise that he would save this. She knew that someday her own daughter would come to claim it. Grandfather passed it on to his own son, and then it came to me. I confess, I never believed that anyone would come to claim it. I thought it was just a fanciful tale they told us." He opened the box and slid it toward Alyss. "I believe this belongs to you."

Her wings fluttered, and she hovered, as if too timid to look. Then she approached the table, and we all saw her look of wonder when she reached for the box.

It was a necklace she pulled out, so tiny it looked as if it were made for a child—or a fairy. She held it up to the light, and it sparkled. It shimmered and glistened in the dim room, as it gave off its own light. It was a glorious light, shot through with colors I'd never seen before, as if a thousand rainbows were trapped in the glittering gemstones. She didn't waste time admiring it, but slipped it over her head. As we watched, the light grew blindingly bright, then quickly dimmed to a soft glow. She toyed with the gems, a far-away look lighting her face.

J'Spurr moved over beside her, and looked at the necklace. We were all surprised when he touched Alyss, and a force knocked him across the room. He wasn't hurt, but he approached her with caution.

"I'm sorry—I didn't know that could happen!"

"You need to take off the necklace, Alyss." J'Spurr's advice put her on the defensive.

"I can't take it off, it's my birthright! I can see through my mother's memories that it's very important that I keep it on. If I take it off, even once, it means I give up all that I am. I can't take it off. I'm sure there's a simple way to fix it." He reached for the necklace, and again a jolt sent him sailing across the room, even harder.

"Alyss, it looks like it could be dangerous, do you really want to wear something like that?" I reached for the necklace, and when I touched it nothing happened. I could sense there was a lot of magic in the gems, but it didn't hurt me at all. Ehd Wyrd braced himself and touched her, then he touched the necklace. Nothing happened.

Everyone wanted a chance to touch Alyss and her necklace, but no one got the same response as J'Spurr. Thinking that maybe it had run out of charges, he approached her again. We all watched as he reached out with care. She whispered that she loved him, and then he tried to touch her cheek. I cast a shield spell to catch him, as he was repelled so hard he might have crashed through the wall. The necklace clearly did not like J'Spurr.

I looked at him closely, and noted his essence was still the same. He didn't have some kind of evil taint that would make the necklace react. Still we were all perplexed and a lot of the sorcerers had ideas about what might be at work. What I noticed, was the way J'Spurr and Alyss behaved. Both were unsure about the other. Alyss wouldn't take off the necklace, and J'Spurr couldn't touch her. He sulked. Obviously his solution was to take off the necklace, and she was irritated he would ask that of her.

I was afraid of becoming too distracted with the problem of the necklace, and I asked instead about the gateway. Everyone looked to H'ree before they would even acknowledge there actually _was_ a gateway. With the daughter of the gatekeeper before him, he relaxed his guard, and opened up about the gateway.

We learned some strange truths in the few hours we spoke. They shared tales of the creatures that had come out of the gateway, and they shared descriptions of the sea stack that held the gateway. But they also told us that it had defied being found. Over the years, many a young mage would take a boat or fly out to the stack, dreaming of passing through the gateway. But all returned, disappointed. The gateway was hidden, as well as invisible. The fairy, Ny'a had often proved elusive as well.

The gateway and the keeper were both difficult or impossible to find. And what they discovered after the sea stack crashed into the ocean, was that it had never been mapped either. They had of course made the effort, but all their maps and drawings of the sea stack had been magically altered. There was no trace of the stack in any record.

"It's like that law you mentioned, Be'lah, the one about naming." Alyss cast a sidelong glance at a sulking J'Spurr, then continued. "Fairies have a more thorough magic, and so all references to this place have been removed—_unnamed_ in a sense. My mother wanted to make sure no one else could find it, unless they were fairies themselves.

"Do you think you could find it?" As I asked the question, all eyes turned her way.

"I have her memories, and I think I would be able to see it if I got close enough."

"Could you use these?" B'lee had pulled a tube from one of the shelves, and it held numerous paintings. "My best friend, back before the leeches stole my youth, was a talented painter. He loved the sea stacks and he spent hours there, just listing to the waves while painting. He did numerous paintings of the school. It gave him an excuse to paint the young woman he loved."

He spread the paintings out on a table, and the school was depicted from several different angles. The girl was very pretty, but it was the school in the background that held our interest.

"I think we can use these to find the gate." J'Spurr had slipped quietly among us. "This one is obviously the last stack in the row, but this one is painted from further south. He must have been on the one with the gateway. We can use these three paintings to figure out where he was standing when he did this one." He took some measurements, and made some calculations. He then announced that he could find the stack.

"How did you learn to do that?" Alyss looked at him in awe. "That's a kind of magic I don't know." He looked like he still didn't want to talk to her, but he quickly warmed to the explanation.

"I'm good at archery, and our arms-master taught us how to predict our distance from our enemy, by calculating the pull of the bow, with the trajectory of the arrow, and... I know that's not making any sense, but I know how to figure it—I just _know._"

"My brother has always been good with calculations, and tactical decisions." Ehd Wyrd put his arm around his shoulders with a smile. "If he says he can find it, you can trust him." Alyss looked like she wanted to hug him, but she restrained herself.

"I think you're right; it feels right to me. My mother wants me to find my way home..."

"Home? The island is your home!" J'Spurr again looked upset.

"The island is _my _home, but my mother was from Fey. To her, that's home. She never made it back, and it was important to her that I go there. She wants us to find the gateway."

"You make it sound like she's still alive." J'Spurr crossed his arms.

"She is... I mean in a way she is. I don't just have her memories, it's as if they're alive in me. It's like she's showing me things and talking to me. It's how I'm able to cast spells even though I've never learned them. She knew, and she's showing me how."

"It sounds dangerous." His eyes fell to her necklace, and he scowled.

"I'm sorry... I feel like I"m going to need these connections. When I thought about taking off the necklace, I had such a feeling of impending disaster. It's like my mother was afraid for me to take it off." She looked at her fairy-dragon-man. "We'll figure something out. Let's just give it a little time, okay?"

J'Spurr didn't look pleased, especially as it got late, and we were offered rooms to sleep until the morning. He was going to have no choice but to sleep apart from Alyss. Ehd Wyrd and I decided we needed to go back and let the dragon's know what was happening.

I spent the night with Alyss, even though I wanted to be with Ehd Wyrd. In the morning we began our search for the fallen sea stack and the gateway. Once the sorcerers learned that we had a group of dragons so close to their village and school, they asked if they could come in closer. It was Rose's decision that they stay back from the village. That didn't dim their curiosity, and they gathered in small groups, and made excursions to see the dragons.

The sea stack was proving to be a lot more difficult to find that we expected. The first day of searching, we were all eagerly swimming through the water, using various magical means to minimize our need for air. In the evening, we were all exhausted, and still we hadn't located the stack. On the second day, we organized into shifts, and searched futilely. In the evening, I stayed up and talked with the leaders of the school. I needed to inform them of their mistaken ideas about magic. I wanted to make sure they knew that magic didn't separate into good or bad.

By the morning of the third day, I hadn't slept. I'd stayed up through the night, turning their whole way of looking at magic on its ear. B'lee eagerly learned spells from what they thought of as evil, but the others were resistant. They didn't have the benefit of R'ness to teach them in her do or die manner.

I still took my turn in searching, even though I was so tired I wanted to sleep instead. I needed only minimal magic to be able to breathe, feeling at home in the water. As I swam the search pattern, I closed my eyes to rest them. I ran right into the gate. With my eyes opened, I couldn't see a thing, in fact it didn't even seem like there was room for a gateway. Even with the sight of the f'nyx, couldn't tell there was anything there. But when I closed my eyes again, I could feel it. Not only that, but I saw the glow right behind my eyelids.

I was surprised that it wasn't damaged, though it was not standing upright as I imagined. It was tipped, and leaning against a massive chunk of rock, likely from the collapsed sea stack. I sent up a signal to let them know I'd found it. I was afraid to leave it, fearing the magic would erase it from my memory. Alyss and Ehd Wyrd joined me, and neither of them could see it, until I motioned for them to close their eyes.

We took turns surfacing and someone stayed with the gate at all times. Even then I felt confused and turned around when I tried to swim back to it. We decided that we needed to see if we could make it visible. Alyss and I both had magic to try. I had communed with the other gateway, and I thought I knew how they behaved. I tried touching various runes, but none of them did a thing for me.

When Alyss touched the gate, it responded to her, and the runes began to glow. We could then see it with our eyes open. One of the gems on her necklace lit up brightly, and only dimmed when she let go of the gate. We could all see the gateway, and the two of us swam to the surface again.

"It wanted me to be the new gatekeeper!" Alyss seemed upset by the whole experience. "It tried to force me to take the job, but the necklace wouldn't let it. I know it will open for me."

That evening we gathered together to make our plans to leave. We had to turn down offers from among the students and teachers to go with us.

"What about all those dragons?" B'lee asked the question I'd been dreading. They were expecting me to lead them home. But I had no idea what we would encounter in Fey. I'd been trying to think of a safe way to leave them behind, like we'd left them encamped away from the school. "You can't really take them with you, and you can't really leave them behind. I've spoken with them, and the one called Ghar'rett has expressed his concerns."

"They're counting on me to get them home. For some reason they think I'm part of one of their own prophesies." B'lee laughed at my statement.

"When I told you to face the dragons, I never thought you would be leading them. I might have an idea to help you, if they'll trust you." The idea he presented was something I'd never have come up with on my own. It was going to take a lot of collaboration, but we all agreed it would be a good solution to our dilemma

We went then to present his idea to the dragons. After explaining it, we had to wait several hours for them to discuss it. It was Aniha'tole who brought their answer; they had agreed to give it a try, though they wanted M and Ghar'rett to be separate from them.

It was late in the day, when we lead the dragons to a high cliff, not far from the ocean. From there they could look out over the water, to where the sea stack used to be. It was a place set back from the beach, and safe from even the highest tides. It was where we decided we would leave the dragons, until our return.

B'lee's idea was simple: Leave the dragons behind, in a form that would make them safe to remain in the human realm. They had agreed, as long as M, Ghar'rett, and the royal family went with us. They agreed because I assured them that I would do everything I could to find a way to lead them home.

One by one, the dragons stepped forward, and J'Spurr's breath lowered their temperature to a level that put them into a hibernation-like sleep. As they slept, we arranged them in a formation, so they resembled the rocks. When they were all sleeping, the adepts from the school joined hands. It was a concentrated spell they cast, to allow the hibernation to last until we returned to awaken them. A safeguard was put in place to allow them to wake up if they were threatened. I cast a spell over them myself, that would suspend their needs and drives. Their inert forms could leech what they needed for their existence, directly from the air, water, and ground around them. We put them into a form of sleep-like suspension. When this was done, Alyss cast two spells over them. The first would make them invulnerable as stone. They wouldn't suffer in the heat or cold, they wouldn't erode, and they wouldn't be chipped away by men or animals. Then she cast a spell that comes naturally to fairies—illusion. She made the dragons appear to be stone. If I didn't know I was looking at almost forty dragons, I would think I was looking at an interesting rock formation. They blended in with the surrounding rocks, and as the sun began to set, the once colorful dragons looked like an outcropping of the cliffs, painted in browns and rust.

We spent another hour, just testing to make sure the spells had worked. We shouted into dragon ears, walked through dragon claws, and clamored over dragon backs. They were oblivious. I then cast a final spell, as an idea came to me.

"What was that spell you just cast?" M was suspicious, and even in human form, I was still intimidated by him.

"We've taken care of their needs for food, water, and shelter. They're sleeping, and won't wake up unless there's a threat. Physically they'll be fine. But I wanted their minds to stay sharp, so we don't come back and wake them up, only to find their minds have withered from disuse. The spell combines elements of the third and fifth laws for memory and communication. As they dream, they'll hear each other in their minds. They'll also hear vibrations from the world around them. They'll be aware of human events. It shouldn't be intrusive, but they'll be able to tune in to hear what's happening throughout the world. This should help keep their minds active."

"If I ever had a doubt that you were the right one to lead us, you've just set them all to rest. You truly do understand dragons. Thank you."

With the dragon issue taken care of, we planned to leave early the next morning. That night, I nestled in Ehd Wyrd's arms, sharing a bed. I was supposed to be with Alyss, but she and J'Spurr stayed up late, trying to figure a way around the spell the necklace cast against him.

"I love you." He kissed me, and his arms tightened around me. All his talk of conventions and propriety were buried under our need to be together. "I hope this quest goes fast. We haven't even left, and already I want to bring you home so I can marry you."

"I want that too." I kissed his lips and ran my fingers through his hair. His crown hung from the bedpost, forgotten. "Alyss knows where to find the gateway to the dragon realm, and it shouldn't be difficult to negotiate some kind of agreement to allow the dragons to pass through."

"I wish I had your optimism." I could see his dark, brooding eyes in the candlelight. "I often worry we'll never get married. I want so badly to make you mine forever, but it feels like there's something pushing against that desire. I can't name it... I just feel it."

I held him tighter. "We will get married. I intend to keep you forever, and nothing will stand in my way. We can get married before we leave if you want to."

"No. If I married you tomorrow, we would have to postpone our trip for at least another lunar cycle. I want to take my bride, and hide away where no one can find us. Besides, my mother would never forgive me if I she couldn't attend our wedding."

"I don't like being apart from you. I want to be close to you, and... I want to... to make love with you." I didn't want him to think I was a loose woman, but he knew how much I wanted to be with him, and know him fully. Sometimes when we were alone, just kissing him made me want so much more.

"I know. I want you just as badly." He kissed my forehead. "At least we can share this much. It's more than my brother has right now."

"What about Rose? I'm pretty sure she's with M at night."

"She is. I've spoken to M about the matter. The way he sees it, she is his mate. He doesn't see a need for any ceremony; there's no one else for him, and she feels the same way about him. It's the reason she offered me in marriage, because she herself was already taken. King Newt'n's wife died years ago, and his first offer was to take Rose as his wife."

"But he's so much older than she is! Why would he think she would accept?" I couldn't imagine marrying a man who was old enough to have a daughter my age.

"He's royalty; that's how it works. Marriage is a convenient way to make an alliance between two countries. I always knew I could be married off to someone I might not know or like. My parents might not do that, but as you saw, Rose would. When we were changed, J'Spurr was already receiving offers from young princesses and royal daughters across the mainland."

"It sounds terrible." I snuggled against him, with my head on his shoulder.

"It could be worse. If we lived on the mainland, I would probably have been married to some royal daughter by now. Some of those marriages happen when they're still children."

"I'm glad you lived on the island."

"Don't forget the curse. J'Spurr was about to begin courting a girl named Lor'ren when we were changed. I'm pretty sure the girl is long dead by now, but he thought she was comely enough at the time. He seems to have the worst luck with women."

"There must be a good reason for the necklace to behave so strangely. I can't think of anything now, but maybe once we cross over to the other side we'll find an answer." We blew out the candle, and I fell asleep in his arms.

We ate our morning meal at the school, and said our goodbyes. We went to the beach, and Alyss and I cast breathing spells on everyone. In all there were seven of us going; me, Ehd Wyrd, J'Spurr, Rose, Alyss, M, and Ghar'rett. We looked like a group of humans as we waded into the surf, but in reality Rose was the only human among us.

We swam to the gateway, and after all the effort to find it, opening the passage was relatively easy. We all gazed at the rippling light of the portal, and then Rose took M's hand as she stepped through, and he followed. Ghar'rett, J'Spurr, Ehd Wyrd, me and Alyss followed after them, holding hands to keep us together. We left the only world I ever knew, and stepped into a place that was clearly _different. _

Fini

**A/N: That concludes book one of my Dragons of Twilight Trilogy. I have book two up now; it's a separate book called Fairies in Moonlight. It's told from Alice's POV.**

**I hope you've enjoyed this journey into my alternate universe. I appreciate those of you who read along, and offered me encouragement. If you're reading this when it's marked complete, I'd still love to hear from you. I'm open to hearing the negatives as well as the positives. I love concrit, so I can improve. **


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